Press Release
Justice Sylvanus Chinedu Oriji of the FCT High Court sitting in
Apo, Abuja today, June 11, 2014 granted bail to the duo Mohammed Abubakar Kent
and Precious Otsu, who are currently being prosecuted by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for offences which border on fraud.
Kent and Otsu were granted bail in
the sum of N25m (twenty five million naira) each and two sureties in like sum.
One of the sureties must be a civil servant not below grade level 14. The
sureties must depose to affidavit of means and must be resident within the
jurisdiction of the court.
The accused persons are standing trial on an 11-count charge of
criminal breach of trust, forgery, personation and obtaining money under false
pretence.
The duo allegedly
conspired and forged documents in the name of Little Acorns Turkey Project
Limited and fraudulently defrauded one Sulaiman Aliyu to the tune of N800m
(Eight Hundred Million Naira) over a property situated at Lokogoma, Abuja.
Edwin Inegedu and
Dania Abudullai, counsel to the first and second accused person, while moving
the bail application, prayed the court to admit the accused persons to bail on
the grounds that the offence is bailable. They also argued that their clients
have no criminal record and will not jump bail.
Specifically, counsel
to the second accused, Abudullai told the court that his client, Otsu is a single mother
with two kids, adding that he was prepared to deposit the original copy of his
Call –to-Bar certificate to secure her bail.
Counsel to EFCC, Onjefu Obe, however, objected to the application
on the ground that the accused persons did not completely honour the terms of
the administrative bail earlier granted them by the Commission and therefore
would likely jump bail if granted. The prosecuting counsel also argued that
though bail is at the discretion of the court, the power must be exercised
judiciously and judicially.
Justice Oriji after listening to the submissions of counsel, granted
bail to the accused persons and adjourned the case to July 29, 2014 for
hearing.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head,
Media & Publicity
11th
June, 2014
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