The self-styled Director-General (DG) of the alleged “non-existent” Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, was on Wednesday arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja, Peak Newspaper reports.
Adeyemi, who has been in detention since July 14, when he was arrested on the strength of a bench warrant issued by the court, was docked on an eight-count charge relating to forgery, fraud and impersonation.
However, he pleaded not guilty to the charges read to him before trial by Justice Mohammed Umar.
The court ordered his remand at Kuje Prison until October 12, when the full-blown hearing will commence.
Meanwhile, the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has taken over the case from the police, with the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF), Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, leading the prosecution.
The prosecution applied for an accelerated hearing of the case.
Counsel to the defendant, Mr Genesis Francis, failed to persuade the court to hear his client’s bail application.
After the arraignment, he begged the court to consider the issue of bail, stressing that the defendant, who he said is suffering from a contagious ailment, has a medical appointment fixed for Friday.
The prosecution opposed the application, insisting that the government has adequate facilities to take care of the defendant’s health needs.
Justice Umar held that the bail application would be heard on the adjourned date.
Among those billed to testify in the matter are the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila; Paul Emmanuel; Jeremiah Imoukhede; and Ituah Sylvester.
Other witnesses are civil servants working in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), Akimbo Shola and Adamu Balongu, as well as a Deputy Superintendent of Police.
