An Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta the state capital has struck out the suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, the immediate past Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Professor Olusola Oyewole, and the Bursar of the institution, Mr Moses Ilesanmi.
The court presided over by Justice Olatokunbo Majekodunmi, on Thursday ruled that the EFCC had failed woefully in establishing a prima facie case against the accused persons.
Consequently, the trio was discharged and acquitted.
Ogunlewe, who was former Pro-Chancellor of FUNAAB, and the two other principal officers were arrested by EFCC operatives following a petition by some concerned members of the university community.
Subsequently, they were arraigned separately and jointly on 18 charges bordering on alleged stealing, abuse of office and fraudulent conversion of the university property to personal use.
The accused persons, however, all pleaded not guilty to the charges and the court subsequently granted them bail.
Shortly after the arraignment, Ogunlewe announced his resignation as the institution’s Pro-Chancellor, citing personal reasons, while Oyewole bowed out on May 23, 2017, after completing his five-year tenure as vice chancellor.
In Thursday’s ruling, the court declared that all the evidence presented by the prosecution had been manifestly discredited through cross-examination such that it could not rely on them.
The suit was, therefore, dismissed on grounds that it lacked merit.
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