Justice Ahmed Mohammed of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday remanded former group managing director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Engr. Andrew Yakubu, in Kuje prison pending the ruling on his bail application on March 21, 2017.
Yakubu is being prosecuted on a 6-count charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for offences bordering on financial corruption and money laundering.
The court remanded him in prison custody after prosecution counsel, Prince Ben Ikani and defence lawyer, Ahmed Raji, SAN, had argued his bail application dated March 13, 2017 and filed same day.
Yakubu had pleaded not guilty to the allegations levelled against him by the federal government.
In the motion for bail, Raji urged the court to grant his client bail “on self recognizance and/or in the alternative, admit him on bail onerous liberal term.”
He also urged the court to order interim release of the defendant’s international passport to enable him travel abroad for medical treatment.
Raji argued that Yakubu was about to treat prostate cancer in the United Kingdom which he cut short because of the EFCC invitation.
Adducing further reasons for bail, Raji said, “By combined provisions of Sections 158-165 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, except in capital offences, an accused is ordinarily entitled to bail”.
However, in opposition, the EFCC lawyer urged court not to grant bail to Yakubu on “self recognizance.”
Ikani argued that the medical reasons cited by the defence could not hold water as he said the anti graft agency monitored Yakubu while in detention.
“While under our custody, EFCC monitored his health daily. We have facility and we have been taking care of him.
“We have better medical facility all around Abuja. That he is sick and wants to go on medical treatment abroad is like a fairy tale because their is no report of experts to ascertain his health status.
“But if the court is mindful of granting their request, we submit that court applies stringent conditions to make him appear for trial.”
Source: Leadership
