By Tunde Sanni 

Hearing in the case of graft preferred against the former Oyo State Governor, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala and two others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), suffered setback yesterday due to the non-assigning of the case by the state Chief Judge, Justice Bolatito Badejoko.

The former trial judge, Justice Akintunde Boade, had fixed further hearing till Wednesday following his retirement from the bench earlier in the month.

However, the expectations of the accused persons and their followers for the commencement of trial by another judge was dashed as there was no judge to hear the case.

The EFCC had slammed an 11-count charge of conspiracy, contracts scam and other criminal acts to the tune of N25 billion on Alao-Akala, his Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs now a Senator, Hosea Agboola and an Ibadan-based contractor, Mr. Olufemi Babalola of Pentagon Engineering Services.

The former governor, who had earlier arrived the court along with his hordes of supporters, later left the premises few minutes after 9a.m. when it became apparent that the trial would not go on.
Counsel to EFCC, Yinka Bolanle, said the case file was still with the chief judge, adding that a new trial judge was yet to be assigned to hear the case .

He confirmed the claim by the accused persons’ counsel that an interlocutory motion had been filed at the Court of Appeal by Alao-Akala and other accused, pointing out that the development would not stop the trial.

He explained: “When we got here this morning, we went to Court 2 where the case was supposed to be heard but the presiding judge, they said the case had not been assigned to him. You know, following the retirement of former trial judge, the case will be assigned to a new judge. Whenever this is done the trial will continue.”

Counsel to the senator, Olatunde Lawal, confirmed his client's appeal against the ruling by the former trial judge at the Court of Appeal and expressed the desire of the defence team to go ahead with the case any moment a new judge has been assigned to handle the case.


http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/hearing-on-alao-akala-s-graft-case-suffers-setback/143420/

Abeg let them give him his pardon jorr and stop waisting our time with home movie.