Former lecturer of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Osun
State, Prof. Richard Iyiola Akindele, accused by his student, Monica Osagie, of
demanding sex to pass her was on Monday remanded in prison custody on the order
of the a Federal High Court in Osogbo.
Akindele was arraigned by the Independent Corrupt
Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) before Justice Maureen
Onyetenu on four-count charges bordering on alteration of age and demanding sex
to pass his student.
Dressed in all-white attire, Akindele, pleaded not
guilty to all the four-count charges pressed against him.
The charges read: “That on September 16, 2017, or
thereabout, you corruptly asked for sexual benefits for yourself from one
Monica Osagie for a favour that would be thereafter shown to her by upgrading
her academic record from fail to pass, thereby committing an offence contrary
to and punishable under Section 8 (1) a and 2 of the Corrupt Practices and
Other Related Offences Commission Act 2000.
“That you solicited sexual benefits from the victim
on September 16, 2017, or thereabout for a favour to be given to you, the act
contrary to and punishable under Section 18 (b) of the ICPC Act.
“That you deliberately concealed evidence with the
intent to remove parts of the conversation between you and the victim, contrary
to Section 15 (1) and (2) of the ICPC Act.
“That you falsified your age by saying, under
interrogation, that you were born on April 19, 1961, while in your personal
file retrieved from OAU, you claimed you were born on April 19, 1959, an act
contrary to and punishable under Section 25 of ICPC Acts, 2000.”
Addressing the court, the senior Legal Officer,
ICPC, Kehinde Adetoye, said the prosecution was ready for definite hearing of
the matter.
Defence counsel, Francis Omotoso, who appeared with
two other lawyers, however, observed that the name of the counsel that signed
the charge sheet of the case was not marked.
He said three names were listed, but the one that
signed the charge sheet among the three was not marked.
Responding to the observation, Adetoye explained
that Ebenezer Adenekan, the lead counsel for the ICPC, signed for other counsel
involved in the matter.
Asked by the court if he is ready for definite
hearing of the matter, the defence counsel, after initially declaring readiness
for hearing, pleaded for more time to study the charge sheet.
He said the prosecution only served him 30 minutes
before the sitting commenced.
Reacting to the claim, prosecution counsel,
Ayantoye, said for weeks, he made efforts to reach the defendant and serve him,
adding that Akindele could not be reached through his mobile phone.
Although the defence counsel made oral application
for bail for the defendant, Justice Onyetenu insisted on an affidavit.
She subsequently adjourned the matter to November 27,
2018, for definite hearing and remanded Akindele in prison custody.
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