A former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has urged Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Abdul Kafarati, to dismiss Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ’s petition seeking to transfer his trial before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun to another judge over alleged bias.
“No party in a criminal case should be allowed to choose or determine the Judge to hear its or his case. Granting such a request for transfer will constitute a dangerous precedent, which will imperil the much cherished independence of the judiciary as the bastion of the rule of law.
Acting Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, had on March 21, 2019 prayed the CJ to reassign the trial to another court, following outburst of the trial judge against its counsel, Rotimi Jacobs during March 20, 2019 proceedings. EFCC alleged that the judge hails from the same state with Fayose and a prince of Ijero Kingdom of Ekiti State.
EFCC’s Spokesman, Tony Orilade, confirmed that the Commission sent the letter yesterday.Following the development, some senior lawyers have expressed the view that transferring a case for which the prosecution had called 10 witnesses contravenes provision of section 98 of the ACJA 2015.
U dey fear?