Synagogue: Contractors’ Stay of Proceedings Application Frustrates Arraignment

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Synagogue: Contractors’ Stay of Proceedings Application Frustrates Arraignment

By Correspondent

The planned arraignment of the Registered Trustees of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), together with two engineers charged alongside their companies over the collapse of the guest house owned by the church, was on Thursday truncated due to a new application intending to throw out the said charge. The affected engineers are, Engineer Akinbola Fatiregun and his company, HardRock Construction and Engineering Company and Engineer Oladele Ogundeji and his company Jadny Trust Ltd. They are to answer questions to a 110-count of involuntary manslaughter. It would be recalled that a Lagos High Court, presided over by Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo had on February 8, 2016 set aside today for the arraignment, sequel to the dismissal of an earlier application challenging the manner in which the court summons were served on the defence. During proceedings on Thursday, the planned arraignment could not go on as counsel to HardRock Construction and Engineering Company, E.L Akpofure (SAN), informed the court that he had filed an application seeking to quash the charge. The SAN insisted that there was nothing in the proof of evidence linking his client to the charges before the court. A similar application was also filed by Olalekan Ojo on behalf of his client, Engineer Oladele Ogundeji. Lawyer to Engineer Fatiregun, Titilola Akinlanwo (SAN), also told the court that her client had also filed an application for a stay of the court proceeding. She insisted that the court has the obligation of hearing the application before any arraignment could take place. However, on her part, counsel to the Lagos State government, Idowu Alakija, who did not oppose the hearing of the application, asked for reasonable time to respond to all the applications. Justice Lawal-Akapo in his ruling declared that the applications should be taken first before arraignment. The judge declared that, “In view of the decisions of the Appellate Court in Awene v State which states that all interlocutory applications challenging the jurisdiction of the court should be heard first before an arraignment, this court adjourns to March 4, 2016 at 9am for argument of all pending applications.” 

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