The Ondo State Judiciary has set up a probe panel to investigate a Chief Magistrate for convicting a suspect without trial despite pleading not guilty to the charges preferred against him.

A Chief Magistrate Court in Ile-Oluji District presided over by Tope Aladejana convicted one Benjamin Andrew for stealing without trial despite pleading not guilty to the charges.

In charge No 25C/MIL between 2024 Commissioner of Police versus Benjamin Andrew, the suspect pleaded not guilty to a three-count charge bordering on stealing cocoa on a farm in Ile-Oluji in the Ile-Oluji Okeigbo Local Government Area of the state.

Despite his plea, he was summarily sentenced to three years imprisonment for each charge.

Worried by the uproar over the decision of the court, the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Olusola Odusola, set up an investigative panel to look into the circumstances surrounding the decision of the court.

In a statement signed by the Chief Registrar, Mrs Yetunde Ajanaku said the judiciary is disturbed about the judgment and the uproar it has generated in social media within and outside the state.

The statement made available to reporters on Saturday read “Ondo State Judiciary has taken note of a recent judicial pronouncement delivered by an Ondo State Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ile-Oluji on the 12th day of August 2024 in the matter with Charge No: MIL/25C/2024, the case of the Commissioner of Police (COP) versus Benjamin Andrew in which the purported Certified True Copies of this judgment has become the subject of extensive online discussions and public scrutiny.

“Ondo State Judiciary is deeply concerned about this development and the Learned Honourable Chief Judge has promptly launched a meticulous investigation to authenticate the veracity of the Certified True Copies of the said judgment, as well as to thoroughly examine the circumstances leading to the pronouncement thereof if the Judgment is duly authenticated.

“This action is aimed at ensuring that the court proceedings and practices in the state strictly adhere to the letter and spirit of the applicable laws and established judicial conventions.

“Ondo State Judiciary hereby reassures the general public of its unwavering commitment to the sacred cause of justice, even while acknowledging the inherent possibility of human frailties and occasional oversights.

“We respectfully appeal for calm and composed deliberation as it diligently works to resolve the issues that have arisen in this matter.” (Saturday Independent: Text, Excluding Headline)

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