Court dismisses Omafume's bail application in alleged fraud case

AFEDERAL High Court sitting in Lagos has dismissed the bail application filed by a Chartered Accountant, Omafume Augustina Ayinuola, who is standing trial alongside her mother, Lydia Abosede Erhievuyere, on alleged N5.99 billion and $ 975,102 fraud.

The trial Justice Kehinde Olayiwola Ogundare, while ruling on the accountant's bail application, dismissed it for the defendant being a flight risk.

It would be recalled that Justice Akintayo Aluko of the same court, had on September 15, 2023, dismissed the same application earlier filed by the accountant when she was arraigned on August 15, 2023.

Justice Aluko held that she was a flight risk as argued by the prosecution counsel Morufu Animashaun, a legal officer at the Force Criminal Investigation Department ( Force CID) Annex, AlagbonIkoyi, Lagos.

However, after the long vacation, the defendants' case file was re- assigned to Justice Ogundare, but the prosecutor, Animashaun, equally amended the charge to 18 counts.

Animashaun had told the court that the accountant and her mother, who is a teacher in Lagos State, committed the offences between 2017 to 2021 at Trailer Park, Agbara, Lagos. He further told the court that the defendants committed the alleged fraud against several firms.

He said that the funds were meant for the purchase and supply of consumables for the office of the firms.

He also alleged that the accountant's mother and her firm, Patridia Resources Limited, also a defendant in the charge, concealed the origin of the funds that they received from Omafume. He said that the accountant’s mother used part of the alleged illicit funds to purchase and develop her family house located at 14, Irawodidia Street, Obadore, Off LASU Road, Igando, Lagos.

Both defendants denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Meanwhile, following the defendants' plea, their new counsel, O. Ashiru, re- filed the accountant’s bail application, and urged the court to admit her to bail in the most liberal terms.

Ashiru also pleaded with the court to allow the accountant's mother to continue to enjoy the bail earlier granted her by Justice Aluko. Animashaun did not oppose the pleadings on the accountant’s mother’s application but vehemently opposed his pleadings on the accountant's application.

He urged the court to dismiss the bail application.

Justice Ogundare upheld the prosecutor's submission, and held that he could not sit on the decision of a court of coordinate jurisdiction.

The judge consequently dismissed the accountant's bail application and adjourned the trial to May 16, 2024.