The Speaker of the Lagos Protest Dwelling of Assembly, Rt Hon Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa mature President Bola Tinubu’s affect to fetch the court to unfreeze his bank accounts, SaharaReporters has learnt.
SaharaReporters reported on October 8, 2020, that the Financial and Financial Crimes Commission had bought a court suppose granting the temporary forfeiture of three bank accounts belonging to Mr Obasa.
The court suppose was bought from the Federal High Court docket, Lagos, on September 15, 2020, thru an ex parte application in a swimsuit marked FHC/LCS/1064/2020.
The bank accounts in line with suppose were to be frozen pending an investigation by the EFCC.
In acquiring the suppose, the EFCC mentioned the bank accounts were being investigated for conspiracy, diversion of funds, abuse of dwelling of job, and money laundering.
On the opposite hand, on September 5, 2023, the anti-graft agency was reported to own withdrawn the alleged money laundering swimsuit it filed on the Federal High Court docket against Obasa.
Even supposing the EFCC didn’t give any particular cause behind its application for withdrawal, it, then but all any other time, referenced the Structure and the EFCC Act.
Following the agency’s withdrawal of the swimsuit, Justice Nicholas Oweibo discharged the ‘lien/Post No Debit’ placed on Obasa’s three accounts in Well-liked Chartered Bank.
The accounts are (US Greenbacks) 0001852063; (Most recent) 0001852056 and (Saving) 5002309624.
The judge also dwelling apart the ex-parte orders he made on September 15, 2020, which led to the freezing of the accounts.
The court judgment SaharaReporters bought on Thursday presentations that Justice Oweibo on August 16, 2023, heard the application to unfreeze the accounts in his chamber.
Throughout the hearing, the EFCC was represented by Mr. Sulaiman I. Sulaiman, while Obasa was represented by Mr. Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN).
The EFCC lawyer told the court that the application to unfreeze the accounts was pursuant to Part 44(2)(Ok) of the 1999 Structure (as amended) and Sections 26, 29, and 34 (1) of the EFCC (Institution) Act, 2004, and beneath the court’s inherent jurisdiction. Part 44 of the Structure concerns constitutional rights to property.
Justice Oweibo in his judgment held thus: “It is hereby ordered that an suppose is hereby granted to the respondent/applicant atmosphere apart the ex-parte orders of this court made on the 15th day of September 2020 upon the ex-parte motion of the Applicant/ Respondent in relation the funds of the Respondent/Applicant domiciled in the accounts acknowledged in the next schedule:
“Myth Title, Financial Myth Institutions, Kind Of Myth, 1. Mudasiru Ajayi Obasa, Well-liked Chartered, (US Greenbacks) 0001852063; 2. Mudasiru Ajayi Obasa, Well-liked Chartered (Most recent) 0001852056 and 3. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, Well-liked Chartered (Saving) 5002309624.
“Issued at Lagos, beneath the seal of this Honourable Court docket and by the fingers of the Presiding Contemplate this 16th day of August 2023.”
On the opposite hand, sources in the agency told SaharaReporters on Thursday that Obasa mature President Tinubu’s affect – being regarded as one of his stooges – to persuade and intimidate the EFCC and the court to fetch a favourable judgment for the PND (Post No Debit) on his story to be lifted.
“After the arrest of Abdulrasheed Bawa, the suspended EFCC chairman and the invasion of its Lagos dwelling of job by the DSS (Department of Protest Products and services), the rate has been weakened and is now on the mercy of the All Progressives Congress (APC),” regarded as one of many sources mentioned.
Fixed with the source, the Lagos Protest Assembly Speaker mature the opportunity to methodology the court for the suppose to be lifted.
One of the precious sources regretted that the anti-graft physique dragged the case for too prolonged, noting that after it had “investigated the case and frozen the story, the EFCC valid refused to both charge Obasa to court or rob further action to confiscate the money in the accounts”.
