Dr. Olufemi Olaleye, the Medical Director of the Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, has requested that the Court of Appeal overturn the lower court’s verdict convicting him of rape.
On October 24, the Lagos Sexual Offenses and Domestic Violence Court in Ikeja convicted him guilty of defiling his wife’s 16-year-old niece and imposed a life sentence on him.
The prosecution successfully proved Olaleye’s two allegations of defilement and sexual assault by penetration, according to trial judge Justice Rahman Oshodi.
But Olaleye, through his attorney, Dr. Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, said in an appeal notice that our correspondent saw on Wednesday that the lower court erred in relying on the evidence the prosecution had provided against him.
He argued that the prosecution’s case was void of any reliable or credible independent corroborative evidence.
Pinheiro said, “The law is trite that in cases of defilement or sexual assault of a child, the evidence of such child must be corroborated. See: James vs State of Lagos (2021) LPELR-52456 (CA); Eze vs State (2019) LPELR-47984 (CA); Aje vs State (2019) LPELR-46828 (CA).
“Such corroboration must be credible, outside and independent of the testimony of the child. The evidence of all the witnesses of the prosecution that purportedly corroborated the testimony of PW2 were all derived from PW2 herself.
“Furthermore, such corroboration must not only indicate that the crime was committed it must show that the Defendant indeed committed the offence.”
He also said the lower court erred in law when it failed to invoke Section 167(d) of the Evidence Act 2011 when the prosecution failed to present the birth certificate of the alleged victim
Pinheiro said, “The law mandates a court of law to presume that evidence which could be and is not produced by a party has been willfully withheld by that party because same was unfavorable to it.
“The birth certificate or any document in relation to the date of birth of the alleged victim of the crime ought to have been in the custody of the prosecution or the victim. The prosecution elected not to present the said birth certificate or any document in that regard.
“In the circumstances, the Honourable Lower Court ought to have invoked Section 167(d) of the Evidence Act 2011. See: State. vs. Sunday (2019) 9 NWLR pt. 1676 pg. 115; State vs. Salawu (2011) 18 NWLR pt. 1279 pg. 580.”
He, however, prayed the appellate court to discharge and acquit him.
He is seeking, “An order of this honourable court discharging and acquitting the appellant of the offences spelt out on the face of the information filed in Charge No: ID/20289C/2022.
“An order of this honourable court setting aside the decision of the honourable lower court contained in the judgment delivered on the 24th day of October 2023 in charge No: ID/20289C/2022.”