The Federal Government has arraigned the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Oladipupo Adebutu, before the Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta, the State capital, over alleged money laundering.
Adebutu was arraigned on seven count charges bordering on money laundering and other offences on Tuesday, February 6, 2024.
It would be recalled that the PDP gubernatorial candidate was accused of criminal inducement during the March 18, 2023, governorship election by security agents alongside other members of his party.
He was alleged to have ordered through his bank the issuance of 200,000 preloaded ATM verve cards with N10,000 and distributed the money on the day of the election across Ogun State to induce voters.
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Adebutu and six other people were later charged to court by the police but later travelled out of the country and returned in December 2023.
The prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, in his submission, withdrew the prior information supplied and substituted the same with amended information, without any objection from the lead counsel for the defendants, Gordy Uche.
While all the defendants pleaded not guilty to the seven count charges preferred against them, Uche pleaded with the court to allow the 2nd to 5th and 10th defendants to continue to enjoy bail on earlier terms.
He then prayed the court to grant the first defendant, Adebutu, bail on self-recognisance, saying he came to the court on his volition.
However, his prayer was opposed by the prosecuting counsel, noting that while he had no objection to the prayer for bail, he disagreed with the self-recognisance clause.
The presiding judge, Justice Abiodun Akinyemi, therefore, granted Adebutu bail in the sum of N1 million with a surety in the like sum who may be a family member or bondsman.
Justice adjourned the case till February 7, 2024, for hearing.
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