A vacation judge at the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, Justice
Ibironke Harrison, has granted leave to hear the case of the Managing
Director of Cross Country Limited, Mr. Bube Okorodudu alleged of
N82.8m vehicle fraud.Harrison granted Okorodudu's application for
hearing after his lawyer, Mr. Taiwo Taiwo, had argued that the case
was compelling, deserved urgent hearing and could not afford to wait
till after the court's resumption in September.
Okorodudu had been alleged by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission to have stolen about N82.8m through fraudulent sales of 17
units of Volkswagen transporter buses belonging to AG Moeller Ltd and
one Adeloye Olukemi.He was being charged along with his two companies,
Cross Country Limited and Carr Link Limited.On Wednesday, while
arguing that the case was worth the attention of the vacation court,
Taiwo told the court that there was a subsisting bench warrant and
order for arrest made by Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo on his client on
July 1.He explained that though Okorodudu had submitted himself to the
Zone 2 Police Command where he was detained for two days and was
thereafter brought to court on July 14 by the police, his case could
not be heard due to the strike embarked upon by the Judiciary Staff
Union of Nigeria.
He further informed the court that though his client was currently on
bail by the police, he would not be comfortable until there is a
court order vacating the bench warrant and arrest order made on
Okorodudu.
Having been convinced, Harrison granted the leave for hearing and
adjourned till August 21 for further hearing.Justice Lateef
Lawal-Akapo had on July 1, issued a banch warrant against Okorodudu
and ordered the police to produce him in court for failing to appear
in court on the said day to take his plea on eight counts of
conspiracy, forgery and uttering.Though his lawyer had argued that his
non-appearance was on the ground of ill health, the judge said
Okorodudu by his action demonstrated flagrant disrespect for the
court.
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