“not guilty”-Evans
On Thursday, Evans and his accomplice changed their plea status after the state represented by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Titilayo Shitta-Bey told the trial judge, Justice Hakeem Oshodi that the prosecution amended count two of the earlier charge to reflect the current state of the law.
Evans and six other co-accused gang members had to change their plea after a change was made in the Lagos state law. The accused who were first docked on Section 271 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2013, are now facing trial under changed Section 155 subsection 1 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2017.
The DPP allowed the defendants to take fresh plea but the charge of offences are still the same. Justice of the Federal High Court, Justice Oshodi disallowed adjournment of the case by Evans lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje but gave them 45 minutes to meet with their clients before the hearing.
According to The Leadership, the hearing resumed at exactly 11:45am and the amended charges was read to the defendants, but the weird thing was that, all six defendants pleaded “not Guilty” to the two count charge of conspiracy and kidnapping of Donatus Dunu. Although, the case has once again been adjourned till 3rd of November, 2017 after all the defending lawyers pleads for the case to be adjourned for preparation based on the new state law adjustment.
But it is a concern if defendants who pleaded guilty to charges before amended laws of the state now pleads not guilty after it has been amended makes one wonder if the amendment is too weak for lawyer’s manipulations or this is another game in political play.
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