Alleged Fraud: Accountant Asks Court To Lift Freezing Order

A chartered accountant, Ayinuola Omafume, has urged a Federal High Court in Lagos to lift the freezing order placed on her bank account by the police over allegations of fraud.

Omafume and her mother, Lydia Abosede Erhievuyere, are facing trial before the court for allegedly stealing the sum of N1.5 billion belonging to the company of Mr Peter Ololo.

They pleaded not guilty to the charge.

While moving the application, counsel to the defendants, Olubusola Ashiru, urged the court to lift the lien placed on the defendant’s accounts and for the release of the properties illegally taken away from the defendants by the police and the nominal complainant, Peter Ololo the alter ego of the Group of Companies.

Ashiru also asked the court for an order directing the prosecutor to release all the defendants’ properties and to direct that the properties taken away by the nominal complainant, Peter Ololo, “the estranged lover,” from the defendants be returned.

Ashiru said that while the matter was pending before Justice Ogundare, the prosecutor ran to another court to obtain an order to freeze the accounts and placed liens on the defendants’ properties.

However, the prosecutor, in his 19-paragraph counter affidavit filed in opposition to the defendant’s motion, urged the court to dismiss the motion.

Morufu Animasahun, while moving the counter affidavit, urged the court to dismiss the application and ordered an accelerated hearing.

He said the essence of the freezing order obtained by the prosecution from Justice Ibrahim Ahmad Kala’s court is to preserve the Res as there are persistent intelligence reports that the defendants, through third parties, are making efforts to dissipate the assets bought with the alleged proceeds of crime.