Mr. Oladipupo Adebutu, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Ogun State, was arraigned at The Ogun State High Court over allegations of electoral crimes and money laundering.
The arraignment follows accusations of criminal inducement during the gubernatorial election held on March 18, 2023.
Adebutu, along with six other individuals, faced a seven-count charge related to alleged criminal inducement during the election and money laundering activities. The accusations stem from purported orders for the issuance of 200,000 preloaded ATM Verve cards with a denomination of N10,000 each, distributed on election day across the state with the intention of influencing voters.
Despite earlier absconding from the country for months, Adebutu returned in December 2023 and was subsequently charged by the police. During the proceedings, the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, withdrew prior information and substituted it with amended information, a move uncontested by the lead counsel to the defendants, Chief Gordy Uche.
All defendants, including Adebutu, pleaded not guilty to the charges. Chief Gordy Uche, representing the defendants, requested bail continuation for certain defendants based on earlier terms and urged the court to grant Adebutu bail on self-recognizance, emphasizing his voluntary appearance in court.
However, the prosecuting counsel opposed the self-recognizance clause, though not objecting to the overall bail request. Consequently, Justice Abiodun Akinyemi granted Adebutu bail in the sum of N1 million, with a surety in the same amount, who may be a family member or bondsman. The case was adjourned till February 7, 2024, for further hearing.
