• Persecution won’t silence me, says ex-governor’s spokesperson
The media aide to former Governor Ayodele Fayose, Lere Olayinka, was yesterday arraigned before an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court over alleged fraud.
The prosecutor, Inspector Johnson Okunade, told the court that the defendant committed the offence between 2014 and 2018 at Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State at Ilokun in Ado-Ekiti.
He alleged that the defendant, as a public officer, abuses his office when he failed to remit commercial revenue accrued to the broadcasting service totalling N13.5 million to the coffer of Ekiti State Government.
![[FILES] Police officers (Photo by Daniel ROLAND / AFP)](https://www.afriupdate.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/000_9WZ2BZ-scaled-e1643035494845.jpg "Police deploy at German synagogue after bullet holes found 2")
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He also alleged that the defendant, being the director-general of the broadcasting station, abused his office when he authorised travelling allowance totalling N7 million in his name for journeys he did not embark on.
When the charges were read to him, the defendant pleaded not guilty.
His counsel, former Attorney-General of Ekiti State, Mr. Kolapo Kolade, urged the court to grant his client bail, with a promise that he would not jump bail.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr. Adesoji Adegboye, granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in like sum having a verifiable address in the sum of N500,000.
Adegboye ruled that one of the sureties must be a community leader, while the second must produce proof of landed ownership.
He adjourned the case until April 27, 2020, for hearing.
Meanwhile, Olayinka has described his detention by the police and arraignment for alleged fraud as the usual political persecution that can never get someone like him intimidated and silenced.
He said it was funny that the same way he was persecuted, arrested, detained and tried for sedition in 2012 during the first tenure of Dr. Kayode Fayemi was the same way he was being persecuted now.
Olayinka advised the All Progressives Congress (APC) government in Ekiti State to focus on how to address its glaring non-performance instead of running after perceived opposition figures.
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