Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola
An
Osogbo High Court has awarded N5m as damages in favour of an
ex-Commissioner for Finance in Osun State, Mr. Adetoyese Ojo, against
the state government.
Ojo, who served in the Olagunsoye
Oyinlola administration for three and a half years, dragged the state
government to court over the report of a committee which indicted him.
The former commissioner was indicted by a
committee set up by the state government to look into the transactions
conducted by the Internally Generated Revenue Improvement Scheme.
According to a copy of the order
obtained by our correspondent on Friday, the court held that “the issue
involved in this suit is a failed contractual transaction and not a
criminal allegation.”
The committee inaugurated by the Rauf
Aregbesola administration had accused Ojo of being culpable in the
management of some funds in the coffers of the state government.
Ruling on a Motion on Notice brought by
the ex-commissioner, Justice A. A. Aderibigbe, granted N5m damages to
Ojo for breach of his fundamental human rights as guaranteed by Section
36(i) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic.
The court order also stopped the
respondents, which included the state governor, Commissioner for Justice
and Attorney General, state Head of Service, and an Osogbo Magistrate’s
Court from further prosecuting Ojo.
Ojo had pressed for N10m as damages for
breach of fundamental human rights to fair hearing, claiming that he was
unjustifiably arrested, detained and prosecuted.
Justice Aderibigbe granted the
applicant, who is a chartered accountant, N5m as damages and
subsequently dismissed the report of the committee.
PUNCH
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