Appeal Court dismisses Akala’s bid to quash criminal charges

 

 The Court of Appeal in Ibadan on Tuesday dismissed a suit filed by Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, a former governor of Oyo State, to quash the N11.5 billion suit filed against him by the EFCC.
Alao-Akala, Senator Hosea Agboola, and a business man, Olufemi Babalola, had appealed a December 12, 2012 ruling by Justice Akintunde Boade of the Oyo State High Court which held that they had a case to answer.
The EFCC had arraigned the appellants before the Court on an 11 count bordering on conspiracy, contract awards without budgetary provisions, and obtaining by false pretence.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Delivering judgment, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, held that the preliminary objection by Alao-Akala was premature.
Dongban-Mensem held that Alao-Akala should have waited for the trial to go mid-way at the High Court before appealing.
She held that Alao-Akala did not provide enough evidence to warrant the court to quash the ruling of the lower court.
The judge then ordered Alao-Akala to return to the High Court for his trial.