A Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos today struck out a N32.6 billion charge preferred against the Iyalaje Oodua,Chief Mrs Toyin Kolade.
The Iyalaje Oodua is a high-ranking chief of the palace of the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.
The case was threw out by the presiding judge, Justice Peter Lifu, following the application to withdraw the charge, made by the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF.
Counsel from the office of the AGF, Pius Akutah, applied to withdraw the charge as result of a letter from the nominal complainant, Access Bank Plc.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Dele Adesina, counsel to Princess Kolade, commended the conduct of the prosecution, describing it as professional, by withdrawing the charge after objection had been raised.
Another counsel to the defendants in the case, Dada Awosika, SAN, also commended the prosecution on the withdrawal, but urged the court to dismiss the charge and acquit the defendants, because the charge flowed from a business transaction.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu said that since the case was not heard on its merit, but merely withdrawn before trial commenced, the appropriate order to make is to strike it out.
He said, “Accordingly, the charge is hereby struck out and the defendants are hereby discharged.”
The Iyalaje Oodua was charged alongside six others before the court by the Office of the AGF, in a charge marked FHC/L/407c/2019, for allegedly obtaining the aforementioned sum under false pretense.
Others charged alongside with the businesswoman are: four Indian nationals, Prem Garg, Devashish Garg, Bhagwan Simgh Rawat and Mukul Tyagi, as well as two Britons, Marcus Wade and Andrew Fairie, said to be at large.
Also, four companies: Metal Africa Steel Products Limited, Wilben Trade Limited, Kannu Aditya India Limited, as well as the socialite’s business outfit, Fisolak Global Resources Limited, were charged before the court for the same offence.
The business tycoon in jubilation mood, thanked God for sustaining her throughout the challenging period of the court processes.
She also expressed appreciation to her legal team, which comprised a top legal luminary, Dele Adesina, SAN, Olapade Awowole and Bimpe Ajegbomogun Sanusi, for their doggedness.
