Fraud Trial: Court Admits More Evidence against Naira Marley

Fraud Trial: Court Admits More Evidence against Naira Marley.

Sources reports that, more exhibits have been admitted in evidence in the ongoing trial of hip-hop singer Azeez Fashola, widely known as ‘Naira Marley’ by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos State.

The presiding Judge, Justice Nicolas Oweibo in his ruling on Wednesday admitted the Compact Disk containing the phone analysis of the singer, tendered in evidence by the second prosecution witness Anosike Augustine on the ground that the iPhone which was analyzed has been admitted in evidence before.

The judge overruled the objection of Naira Marley’s counsel Olalekan Ojo (SAN) and admitted the CD in evidence marked exhibit ‘F.’

 “I have considered the agreement of both parties as well as the ground for the objection, I consider the CD to be admissible in view of the nature of this case and the evidence of another prosecution witness,” Oweibo said.

The trial of the case could not proceed because the defense counsel, Olalekan Ojo, was not in court and sought an adjournment. The adjournment was not opposed by the EFCC’s counsel, Bilkisu Buhari. Justice Oweibo adjourned the further trial to the 8th and 11th of March, 2021.

Meanwhile, recall that the anti-graft agency had on May 20, 2019, arraigned Naira Marley on 11 counts of money laundering and Internet fraud.

The EFCC alleged that some of the credit cards discovered in his residence bore the names Nicole Louise Malyon and Timea Fedorne Tatar. But he pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The EFCC said that the offences contravenes Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and the Cyber Crimes Act.