The trial of Olasupo Shasore (SAN), a former Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, has been adjourned by Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos State Special Offences Court to June 10, due to disagreements between the prosecution and the defense over legal documents. The disagreement arose when the defense lawyer, Muiz Banire (SAN), denied receiving some documents that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) claimed to have served them. The defendant was arraigned on a two-count charge of corruptly offering $200,000 to a former director and a lawyer in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
The anti-graft agency alleged that Shasore gave them the money for their alleged role in the arbitral proceedings instituted by Process and Industrial Developments (P&ID) against the federal government. However, Shasore pleaded not guilty to the charge. One of the defense lawyers, Chijioke Okoli (SAN), requested an adjournment pending the sorting out of the issue of the disputed documents, arguing that the defense needed more documents from the prosecution to defend their case.
At the court’s last sitting, Justice Dada granted the prayer of the defense and adjourned the trial till Tuesday for the commencement of the trial. However, Banire informed the court that the prosecutor had not given them the requested documents they needed to challenge the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the charges. The EFCC Counsel, Bala Sanga, maintained that he had served the defense with the requested documents and showed the court the proof of service from his case file.
After looking through the court file, Justice Dada confirmed that the proof of service was not in the file and directed the prosecutor to file an affidavit of service. The judge subsequently adjourned the matter to June 20 for trial. The EFCC is also prosecuting Shasore before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos on a four-count charge of money laundering.
The adjournment of the trial due to the disagreement on legal documents is a setback for the prosecution and the defense. The trial is a high-profile case that has attracted a lot of attention, given the involvement of P&ID, which has been at the center of a protracted legal battle with the Nigerian government over a gas supply contract. The case highlights the need for the prosecution to ensure that legal documents are served and acknowledged by the defense to avoid unnecessary delays and adjournments.