The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, has fixed tomorrow, May 4, 2023, for the hearing of the objections raised by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against the appeal filed by an Indian businessman, Ashok Israni and three others, seeking to quash their conviction over N855 million fraud.
Justice Kudirat Jose of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere, had on December 9, 2019, jailed Israni, two officials of Keystone Bank, Anayo Nwosu and Olajide Oshodi, on an amended 15-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N855 million.
The judge had sentenced them to five years imprisonment each for stealing. But just four months after their conviction, they were released from prison by officials of the Kirikiri Centre of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), allegedly on the directive of the Lagos State Government, despite the pendency of their appeals before the court.
The EFCC, in the objections to the appeal filed on its behalf by its counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), insisted that it is the law that pardon cannot be granted to convicts whose rights of appeal have not been exhausted.
However, at the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, Bode Olanipekun (SAN) told the court that he had filed an affidavit of facts, which contained ‘the instrument of the pardon granted to his clients by the Lagos State government.
But Jacobs told the court that he was just being served with the affidavit in court and that he needed time to study it. Following the development, the panel, led by Muhammed Suraj, adjourned for the parties to argue their applications.
