The Ogun State has disclosed plans to present five witnesses against the impeached Chairman of Ijebu–East Local Government, Wale Adedayo.
On Tuesday, OsunDailyNG reported that Adedayo was arraigned by the Ogun State Police Command.
Adedayo was arraigned before a Magistrate’s Court sitting in Abeokuta, the state capital.
The embattled LG boss had accused the state Governor, Dapo Abiodun, of diverting statutory Federal allocations of all the 20 LGs in the state.
He also petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking Abiodun’s probe on the allegations.
Following the allegations levelled against Abiodun, seven councillors from the LG suspended Adedayo.
Adedayo was also grilled for three days by the Department of State Security (DSS), Ogun Command, in Abeokuta.
He was impeached on September 14 by five out of eleven Councillors in the LG.
Operatives of the Police command arrested him on Monday at Ijebu-Ife and moved him to the Police headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta.
He was arraigned on a two-count charge before a Magistrate’s Court sitting in Isabo, Abeokuta, following a petition written by the state government on Tuesday.
The Prosecuting Counsel, Insp. Olaide Rawlings said five witnesses would be called in the course of the trial.
In the two-count charge levelled against Adedayo, the police said he, on Aug. 27 at Abeokuta in the Abeokuta Magisterial District, unlawfully published a circular to the public.
The charge also said Adedayo, through a letter addressed to a former governor of Ogun, Olusegun Osoba, knowingly and falsely accused Abiodun of hijacking local government funds.
The charge claimed that the publication was likely to cause fear and alarm among the public or disturb the public peace, and it, therefore, contended that Adedayo knows or has reason to believe that such a statement is a rumour.
Adedayo was thereby charged to have committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 59(1) of the Criminal Code laws of Ogun State, 2006.
However, after reading the charge to Adedayo, pleaded not guilty to the two charges.
Counsel to the defendant, Mr Kayode Akinsola, applied for the bail of Adedayo in line with the provision of Section 265, arguing that the defendant is innocent of the charges until proven otherwise.
Akinsola argued that the defendant had no criminal record and that he (Adedayo) would not likely jump bail if granted, adding that his client has been honouring all invitations from the Police and the Department of State Services (DSS).
“We want to believe that the prosecution team has concluded its investigation, and that is the reason why we are in court.
“I urge the court to admit the defendant to bail, who will be willing to stand trial,” Akinsola said.
The magistrate, A.K Araba, in her ruling, admitted Adedayo to bail in the sum of two million Naira and two “responsible and reliable sureties” in like sum.
The sureties, according to the magistrate, must be residents within the jurisdiction of the court and must possess landed property with evidence of Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) and tax clearance.
She, therefore, remanded him at the Ibara Correctional Centre in Abeokuta, pending the perfection of the bail conditions, and the case was adjourned till Oct. 20 for trial.
