Police Arraign Fayose’s Spokesman Over Alleged N20.5m Fraud

March 4, 2020

The police in Ekiti State on Wednesday arraigned the spokesman of the former governor Ayodele Fayose, Lere Olayinka before the state’s Magistrates Court in Ado-Ekiti over allegations of financial impropriety and abuse of office.

Olayinka was docked before Chief Magistrate, Adesoji Adegboye on a three count charge of abuse of office, stealing and fraud.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Johnson Okunade told the court that the defendant committed the offence between 2014 and 2018 while over-seeing the Ekiti State Broadcasting Service at Ilokun area in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

Okunade alleged that the defendant, as a public officer grossly abuse his office when he fail to remit N13.5 million revenue accrued to the Broadcasting service into the government’s coffer.

He also informed the court that the defendant, being the Director General of the broadcasting station obtained N7m under false pretense as travelling allowance from the agency.

Okunade further claimed that the defendant deliberately stole N13.5m belonging to the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State and converted it to personal use.

The prosecutor noted that the offences contravened sections 104, 390(5) and 419 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

His counsel, Kolapo Kolade, urged the court to grant his client bail, with a promise that he would not jump bail.

Chief Magistrate Adegboye granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in like sum

The court held that the sureties must have verifiable addresses and that one of them must be a community leader, while the second must produce a Certificate of Occupancy.

He then adjourned the case to April 27 for commencement of hearing.