A Federal High Court in Lagos will on Feb. 12 begin substantive trial of two Ondo State chieftains of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) charged with laundering N500 million.

The accused are Clement Faboyede, Ondo State Chairman of PDP, and Modupe Adetokunbo, the Director-General of the party’s 2015 campaign organisation in Ondo State.

The duo is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC arraigned them on June 29, 2018, on a three-count charge bordering on money laundering but they pleaded not guilty to the charge, and were granted bail in the sum of N50 million each.

When the case was mentioned on Tuesday, prosecution counsel, Mr Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), sought leave of the court to withdraw a preliminary objection dated Oct. 26, 2018, in which he prayed the court to strike out the suit.

Prosecution counsel, Mr Ekene Iheanacho, did not oppose the application.

Justice Saliu Saidu consequently granted the application, and adjourned the case for substantive trial.

The EFCC said that the accused committed the offences on March 27, 2015.

It accused them of conspiring to accept cash payment of N500 million, which exceeds the amount allowed by law.

According to the prosecution, the offences contravene the provisions of Sections 16 (2) and 18 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended).