Trial of the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, along with his personal assistant, Oyebode Atoyebi, at a Federal High Court, Lagos was stalled on Monday because the key to where exhibits were kept could not be found.
The trial judge, Okechukwu Okeke, confirmed the development when the counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Godwin Obla, wanted to make reference to the exhibits.
The case had earlier suffered two adjournments on November 6 and November 20, following Obla's absence.
EFCC had charged the accused with 20 counts of accepting about N501m cash payment from the House of Assembly without going through a financial institution, an act which it said violated the provisions of Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.
In addition to 19 documents earlier admitted as exhibits by the court, Obla, on Monday, tendered additional three documents which, he said were the last set of exhibits he needed to prosecute the case.
The additional exhibits are, a statement of one of the EFCC officers, who investigated the matter, Mr. Adebayo Adeniyi, and two registers – Chico Cash Register and Bulk Register – said to have been obtained from the accounts department of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
It was at the point of seeking to start "demonstrating" the exhibits, particularly those earlier admitted by the court on October 24, that the judge said the key to where the exhibits were kept could not be found.
Okeke said, "As it is, the key to where the exhibits are kept is misplaced. We have to take another date."
