A
Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday granted a former Head of Service of the Federation,
Mr. Stephen Oronsaye, and his
co-accused, release from custody pending the
hearing of their bail application.
Justice
Gabriel Kolawole made the order shortly after the accused persons were arraigned
by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on 24 counts of money
laundering and fraud charges.
Justice
Kolawole, who adjourned the hearing of the bail applications till July 21,
ruled that the release granted to the accused persons would only take effect
upon filing of written undertakings by defence lawyers assuring that they would
produce their clients in court at the next hearing date.
The
judge hinged his decision to release the accused persons in the interim on the
grounds that the EFCC had not indicated that the accused persons, particularly
Oronsaye, had the tendency of absconding from trial.
He
had also overruled the request by the EFCC prosecutor, Mr. Aliyu Yussuf, for
the remand of the accused persons in prison.
The
judge held that he could not force the accused persons on the EFCC whose
counsel contended that there was no space to accommodate them in its custody,
but under the principle of “interim judicial reprieve,” the court lacked the
power to release the accused persons pending the hearing of the bail
applications.
The
court has fixed October 28, 29; November 3, 5 as well as December 5 for trial.
Source: Punch Newspaper.
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