The Pro Chancellor of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Olusola Oyewole, and the Institution’s former Bursar, Moses Olusola Ilesanmi were on Friday arraigned before an Ogun State High Court sitting in Isabo, Abeokuta for fraud.
The trio were arraigned on an 18 count charge bothering on stealing, illegal deposit and fraudulent conversion of the Institutions money to private use.
The three accused persons, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The defense counsels for Ogunlewe(1st defendant),Oyewole (2nd defendant) and Ilesanmi(3rd defendant) are messrs Benjamin Ogunmodede, Wale Adesokan (SAN) and Adedamola Lapite
Relying on their bail applications, counsels to Ogunlewe and Oyewole prayed the court to grant their clients bail in liberal conditions pending the trial.
The counsels who spoke in turn hinged their arguments on the status of their respective clients and the fact that they had not jumped bail since the EFCC had granted them administrative bail.
They also informed the court that the international passports of their clients were with the EFCC.
Ogunmodede specifically argued that continued detention of Oluwole would affect the smooth running of the institution.
Adesokan also argued that the charges against Ogunlewe were bailable offenses.
The EFCC counsel, Mr Benedict Ubi, however, opposed the bail applications of the defense arguing that Oyewole and Ogunlewe, while on administrative bail interfering in the affairs of the school to the detriment of the trial.
He informed the court that Oyewole in connivance with Ogunlewe, while on administrative bail had sacked 23 staff members of the school, some of whom would have been called as witnesses during the case.
The judge could not however hear the bail application of the third defendant since the counsel failed to perfect the bail application.
After much arguments on the bail applications, the judge, Justice O.O Majekodunmi ordered that Ilesanmi be remanded in the EFCC custody pending the hearing of his bail application on Monday.
She, however, granted Ogunlewe and Oyewole bail in the sum of N50m each and two sureties in like sum.
The judge insisted that the two sureties must be owners of landed properties within the judicial division of the court and deposit their title documents with the court.
She also ordered that the sureties must be on a minimum of grade level 15 with the Ogun civil service and also deposit their international passports with the court.
Majekodunmi also ordered that Ogunlewe and Oyewole be remanded in prison custody pending perfection of the bail terms.
She adjourned the case till December 16th, 19tth and 20th for trial.
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