The money laundering case brought against Pastor Osagie Ize -Iyamu, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in Edo State in the 2016 election and four others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was, October 15, 2020, adjourned till January 14, 2021 by a Federal High Court sitting in Benin City, Edo State.
According to a statement by Wilson Uwujaren, Head, Media & Publicity of EFCC, the other four defendants are Lucky Imasuen, former deputy governor of Edo State; Chief Dan Orbih, former PDP chairman in Edo State; Tony Aziegbemi and Efe Erimuoghae.
At the day’s sitting, counsel to the first defendant, Charles Edosomwan, SAN, informed the court that he has filed a motion challenging its jurisdiction on the grounds that the charge filed against the defendants are based on election matters. According to him, the appropriate court to try electoral matters was the Magistrate Court or High Court of the state. The same argument was canvassed by the counsel to the other defendants.
However, the prosecuting counsel, Francis A.Jirbo countered the argument with the submission that the information before the court is a money laundering charge for which the Federal High Court has exclusive jurisdiction.
After listening to both counsel, Justice M. G. Umar adjourned the case to January 14, 2021 for ruling.
Pastor Ize-Iyamu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in this year’s governorship poll and the other defendants were first arraigned before Justice P. I. Ajoku on an eight count charge bordering on money laundering on May 24, 2018.
The defendants were alleged to have sometime in March 2015 in Benin City directly taken possession of the sum of seven hundred million ( N700, 000,000) without any contract award which sum was allegedly part of proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: fraud and corruption.
