The former Executive Director of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (I.A.R&T) of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Professor Benjamin Ogunbodede and two other persons facing N240 million fraud has called for the transfer of the case to another court.

At the sitting on Monday, counsel to Ogunbodede, Rotimi Akeredolu(SAN), informed the court that he had written on behave of his client to the Chief Judge(CJ) of Oyo state, seeking the case to be transferred to another court on alleged bias of the court.

The Independent Corrupt and Other Related Offences (ICPC) has brought the case with suit number 8/ICPC/2013 against Ogunbodede, the Chief Accountant of the institute, Mr. Zaccheaus Kola Tejumola and Mr. Omitowoju Jalekun, a contractor with the institute before the court presided over by Justice O.I Aiki, over alleged N204million fraud.

Responding, counsel to ICPC, Ayobami Adepoju, told the court not to be intimidated in ensuring justice, noting that the court is a court of justice and equity. The Prosecution counsel noted that justice should be based on sound reason, equity, and the rule of law, saying what the court had done so far in the case are known to the law.

Also reacting, the presiding Judge adjourned the case till February 18, 2014. Saying since the Chief Judge had been served with the letter, she would await the response of the CJ.

Following petitions by staff unions of the agricultural research institute over alleged misappropriation of funds, ICPC had brought the eighteen count charge against the three accused persons.

The court adjourned twice last November because of Ogunbodede’s failure to appear before it for arraignment on account of ill health, as only the second and third defendants were available in the court.

However, on the second sitting of the court, Justice Aiki expressed surprise that the embattled former I.A.R&T boss, who had earlier requested for two days to attend to his ill health, wrote the court again to inform that he would not be available for arraignment again.

She, thereafter, issued a bench warrant and ordered that Ogunbodede should be arrested within the next 48 hours and brought to the court for trial.

Consequently, Ogunbodede was arrested by the anti-graft agency and brought to the court for arraignment along with other two accused persons on November 29, 2013.

At the sitting of the court, the three accused persons pleaded not guilty to the eighteen count charge brought against them, and also brought bail applications, which were heard and granted on the same day by the court after which the matter was adjourned till yesterday.