A Federal High Court Sitting in Lagos has fixed December 14, for the re-arraignment of a former Governor of Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja and one of his aides, Waheed Akanbi over an alleged 4.7 billion Naira fraud.
Justice Mohammed Idris fixed the date after ruling on an application by the EFCC seeking the issuance of a bench warrant on the two defendants for not making themselves available to answer to the charges against them.
Justice Idris turned down the application for the arrest of the defendants owing to the appearance of both men in court on Friday.
The court, however, refused the request of the defendants for a stay of proceedings in the matter pending the outcome of an appeal lodged at the Supreme Court against the ruling of the Lagos Division of the Appeal Court which ordered their trial.
The Appeal Court had held that the anti-graft agency has powers to prosecute them under the Money Laundering Prohibition Act of 2004.
Justice Idris therefore held that the request for a stay of proceedings was against the provisions of Section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act of 2015.
In 2008, the EFCC had arraigned both men on a 10-count charge of laundering the 4.7 billion naira.
In the charge, the EFCC alleged that the duo conspired to convert properties and resources derived from an illegal act, with the intention of concealing their illicit origin.
The anti-graft agency also alleged that ex-Governor Ladoja used 42 million naira out of the proceeds to purchase an Armoured Land Cruiser SUV, and remitted about £600,000 to one, Bimpe Ladoja in London.
They had at the time challenged the charges and the powers of the EFCC to prosecute them but six years after, the Court of Appeal has paved the way for their re-arraignment.