Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has admitted Ali Bello and three others to bail in the sum of N500 million each in their alleged N3 billion fraud trial.
Justice Egwuatu held that the charges against the defendants were bailable, adding that the bail was to enable the defendants prepare adequately for their trial.
Ruling against a counter-affidavit by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel opposing the bail request, the judge held that the charges against the defendants were bailable and that it was to enable the defendants charged with an offence to prepare adequately for their trial.
On February 8, 2023, Bello was arraigned alongside Abba Adauda, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege and Iyadai Sadat, on an 18-count criminal charge before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Following their not guilty plea, Justice Egwuatu adjourned till February 13 for hearing in their bail application and ordered for their remand at the correctional centre.
Justice Egwuatu held that he was inclined to admit the defendants to bail and ruled that the bail was granted the defendants in the sum of N500 million each, with two sureties in like sum.
The sureties should be resident in Abuja, with identifiable address and own landed property worth N500 million within the jurisdiction of the court.
The judge added that the original title documents to the said property must be deposited with the registrar of the court, as well as evidence of tax payment for three years running from 2020 to 2022.
Besides, the judge held that the defendants are to deposit their international passport with the court and can only travel after due permission from the court.
Subsequently, the matter was adjourned till April 16 for commencement of trial.
A senior advocate, Mr Ahmed Raji (SAN), who had argued the bail applications of the four defendants observed that the offences brought against them were ordinarily bailable and as such should be considered and granted.
He also stated that bail is at the discretion of the court and that the court should use its discretion in favour of the defendants.
Raji submitted that EFCC had been investigating the defendants in the past one year without any interference from the defendants.
The senior lawyer said the anti-graft agency on its own admitted the defendants to administrative bail prior to their arraignment, adding that throughout the period of the administrative bail, the defendants did not do anything untoward.
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