During the hearing in September 15, 2016, the 4th to 7th defendants, Pluto Property and Investment Ltd, Seagate Property Development & Investment Company Ltd, Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited and Avalon Global Properties Development Company Limited, represented by their directors all pleaded guilty to the 15 count charge bothering on forgery, stealing and money laundering, while the 1st to 3rd defendants, namely Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel Dudafa, Amajuoyi Azubike Briggs and Adedamola Bolodeoku pleaded not guilty.
But at the hearing today, the defence team argued that his Lordship lacked the jurisdiction to enter guilty plea for the 4th to 7th defendants since they will lose nothing if a not guilty plea is entered for them since they are not legal persons.
He also raised objections to the propriety of the EFCC to charge the 4th to 7th defendants who have the mandate to run their companies for allegedly forging their own signatures in a criminal case.
In his argument, Iseoluwa urged the court to discountenance the plea since the defendants in question did not complain about the plea. He told the judge not to grant the pleas, describing it as gross abuse of court processes intended to annoy the Federal Government of Nigeria.
He argued that the pleas of the 4th to the 7th defendants is unique to each of them and that they have the right to enter guilty plea. He said that the argument of the defense counsel imputes that the 4th to 7th defendants are insane whereas there is no evidence before his lordship to suggest same.
In his argument, Onyiuke argued that the defendants are not guilty since they are not material persons who will be imprisoned and that all the points raised by the prosecution were not based on point of law but simply on the bible of the EFCC, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and referred the judge to decided cases in support of his arguments.
The judge adjourned the matter to October 7, 2016 to rule on the submissions.
