Alleged $8.4m Fraud: Court Compels Ajudua To Get Tested For COVID-19

A Lagos High Court yestersday ordered a socialite, Fred Ajudua, charged with  defrauding a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi, of $8.4 million, to undergo a COVID-19 test at the laboratory of the Yaba Infectious Diseases Centre, Lagos.
Justice Josephine Oyefeso gave the order following Ajudua’s failure to appear in court for his trial for three  consecutive times.
The defendant had cited contraction of Coronavirus.
In a ruling, Oyefeso said that in order verify Ajudua’s  claim, he must be tested in the presence of the representatives of both prosecution and defence.
She added that the result must be communicated to the court within 48 hours.
Earlier, defence counsel, Mr Akinwale Kola-Taiwo representing the Law Chambers of Mr Olalekan Ojo (SAN), prayed the court that though Ajudua was in the court premises, he should not be mandated to enter the courtroom because he tested positive for COVID-19.
Kola-Taiwo told the court that medical report of the defendant showed that he contracted the deadly virus for the first time on Jan. 8 and tested negative on Jan. 15 after he had undergone self-medication.
He said: “I am sincerely sorry for the absence of the defendant. He is downstairs but I don’t think he should be made to enter the court.
“An associate of the defendant met me and handed over these documents to me. They are medical reports of the defendant testing positive for COVID-19 virus.
“Your lordship, the defendant was tested positive for COVID-19 for the first time on Jan. 8. He did self-medication and he tested negative on Jan. 15.
“The defendant has an underlying health issue. He has been living with one kidney for a couple of years now.
“Around Oct. 14, while he was in his home town in Delta State, he also contracted COVID-19. The defendant has been medicating ever since but his condition is deteriorating.
Kola-Taiwo said that Ajudua tested positive again for COVID-19 on Dec. 12.
He asked the court to adjourn the trial to enable  Ajudua to seek treatment.
Responding, lead prosecution counsel, Mr Seidu Atteh, queried the absence of Mr Olalejan Ojo (SAN),  lead defence counsel.
Atteh Seidu said that Ojo should not have been absent at the proceedings because prosecution and defence agreed on the trial date.
He urged the court to order that defence should make available to prosecution, all Ajudua’s medical records  so that an investigation would  be conducted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the authenticity of the documents.
Atteh said that in the alternative, the court should invoke Section 235 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State, 2014, stating that a defendant could be tried in absentia.
“The court should invoke Section 235 of ACJL, 2014, because the defendant cannot continue to manipulate the court,” he said.