The trial of Azeez Fashola otherwise known as Naira Marley began on Friday at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission -EFCC gave more evidence against the Nigerian music star.
Remember that Naira Marley is standing trial on an 11-count charge bordering on credit card fraud. Justice Nicholas Oweibo rejected his objection to the forensic evidence earlier presented.
At the commenced hearing, the prosecuting witness Mr. Dein Whyte, an EFCC operative, resumed his presentation. At the sitting on June 9, 2022, the defense counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo objected to the witness’s opinion on the forensic evidence linking the artiste.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria -SAN argued that only the law court could make pronouncements on the defendant’s culpability, not an investigator.
Dismissing the objection, Justice Oweibo stated that an investigator had to be able to link the defendant to the commission of the crime.
He said: “It is the duty of the law enforcement agency or police, to charge a person to court to investigate if the defendant committed the crime or not.”
“The prosecutor must have made up his mind as to the involvement of the defendant before bringing the case to court”, the judge concluded.
