Suspected fraudster, Ajudua reappears in court, remanded

Eight years after he absented
himself from trial over alleged swindling
of two Dutch, Mr. Remy Cina and Pierre
Vijgen, of about $1.69 million, an Ibusa-
born lawyer and businessman, Mr. Fred
Ajudua, was yesterday ordered to be
remanded in prison by Justice Joseph
Oyewole of an Ikeja High Court.
Justice
Oyewole's order
was sequel to
the sudden
reappearance of
the lawyer in
court after the
trial judge had
in January 2006
issued a bench
warrant directing the police to arrest
and bring him to court, due to his
continued absence from trial.
He is expected to remain in prison till
June 24, 2013 when his bail application
will be heard.
Ajudua was arraigned by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in
2003 alongside one Charles Orie for
allegedly defrauding the two Dutch
businessmen of about $1.69 million
between July 1999 and September 2000.
Shortly after his trial started before
Justice Oyewole, moments the first trial
Judge, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun was
moved to the Court of Appeal, he applied
to be treated in India for some ailments,
which was granted by the court.
Therefrom, he had surgery but never
returned to court, as he claimed to be
moving from one hospital to another.
When the case came up yesterday,
Ajudua eventually appeared before
Justice Oyewole who ordered that he be
remanded since he had revoked his
earlier bail.
The judge held: "This case has been held
up as the agents of the Federal
Government of Nigeria have been
unable to execute the warrant of arrest
issued on January 24, 2005.
"The first defendant is hereby ordered
to be remanded in prison. The
Superintendent of Prisons shall ensure
that the accused is given unrestricted
access to medical treatment including
being taken to LUTH as an out-patient
when occasions demand."
The EFCC lawyer, Mr. Wemimo Ogunde,
SAN, had opposed the application ealier
made by Ajudua's counsel, Mr. Olalekan
Ojo, seeking the reversal of the order of
Ajudua's arrest since he was present.
Justice Oyewole, however, reversed the
order of arrest, due to his appearance in
court, saying since the accused person's
bail had been revoked, he still needed to
convince the court if he was worthy of
being released on bail.