A Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered a Lawyer to a businesswoman, Princess Toyin Kolade, who was alleged to involved in alleged $32 million USD fraud, Mr. Kehinde Awowole to produce his client in court on December 3.
Mr. Kehinde Awowole had undertook to produce the businesswoman who has a chieftain title of Iyalaje Oodua, in court, when the matter first came up before the judge.
The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) had arraigned Princess Toyin Akolade alongside six others, before the court in a charge marked FHC/L/407c/2019, for alleged fraud.
Others charged alongside the Businesswoman are four India Nationals, Prem Garg, Devashish Garg, Bhagwan Simgh Rawat and Mukul Tyagi and two Britons, Marcus Wade and Andrew Fairie, said to be at large.
The four companies involved are Metal Africa Steel Products Limited, Wilben Trade Limited, Fisolak Global Resources Limited and Kannu Aditya India Limited.
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At the resumption of trial, Princess Akolade’s lawyer, Awowole, who was led by Mr. Olalekan Ojo (SAN) pleaded with the court for forgiveness over his failure to produce his client as ordered by the court.
Awowole told the court that both his client and himself were not aware of the Court’s last sitting. And that he became aware of today’s proceedings through social media, specifically Facebook and his WhatsApp group.
Awowole also pleaded with the court to forgive his client who he said was out of the Court’s jurisdisction. He promised to produce the defendant in court at the next sitting of the court.
In counter reaction, a Chief Counsel in the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Dr. Pius Akutah, told the court that hearing notice was duly served on the Businesswoman and same was filed with the court.
The presiding judge, Justice Peter Odo Lifu confirmed the prosecutor’s submissions and also read out how the lawyer undertook to produce Princess Akolade in court.
However, upon the counsel’s plea for mercy and forgiveness, Justice Lifu reordered Awowole to produce Princess Toyin Akolade in court at the next adjourned date.
