By Abdulwahab Abdulah and Jane Echewedo

A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja yesterday fixed February 15, 2017 to rule on an application filed by Mr Goodie Ibru and others asking the court to strike out the fraud charges pressed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The presiding Judge, Justice Raliat Adebiyi took the decision after the submissions of counsel to the parties in the suit.

The EFCC had filed 11- count charges against Goodie Ibru alongside three companies- Associated Ventures International Limited, IHL Services Limited and Clearview Investment Limited, for allegedly conspiring to fraudulently stealing various sums belonging to Ikeja Hotel Plc.

They were alleged to have committed the offence between 2010 and 2015.

When the matter came up yesterday, Mr O. Akoni (SAN) representing the defendants told the court of his pending applications dated November 28, 2016 praying the court to strike out the charge filed against his client by the anti-graft commission.

According to him, the charges lacked ingredients to sustain the case pressed against the defendants. The application is supported by four paragraph affidavit and written address. He therefore urged the court to grant the application. However in his response, the EFCC counsel, Mr Ayokunle Fayanju asked the court to dismissed the defendants’ application praying to quash the charge.

Fayanju said the commission filed 26 paragraph affidavit deposed to by one Afolabi Sheu in response to their application. He prayed the court to strike out defendants’ application.

The judge subsequently adjourned ruling till February 15, next year$

The EFCC had alleged that Goodie and the three companies, between January and December 2010, conspired together to steal the sum of N867,700,900M property of Ikeja Hotel Plc.

The anti-graft commission also alleged that between June and October 2010, within Lagos judicial division, Ibru and the corporate organisations conspired together to fraudulently convert the sum of N55.1 million, property of Ikeja Hotels, to their personal use.

The prosecution further alleged that the defendants used another company, Sherwood Limited as conduct pipe to fraudulently siphon N55 million from Ikeja Hotels.

They were also alleged to have fraudulently received a sum of £10,075 through Sherwood Nigeria Limited, as profit due to Ikeja Hotel Plc.