A Lagos businessman, Dr. Akintoye Akindele, who is facing allegations of attempting to bribe members of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) with N50 million, has been granted bail in the sum of N500 million by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama.
The presiding judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, rejected the prosecution’s plea for continued detention to facilitate further investigation.
Justice Muazu, sitting as the vacation judge, concurred with the arguments of the defense counsel, Henry Eni-Otu, that the charged offense is ordinarily bailable….CONTINUE READING
Consequently, he admitted Akindele, the Managing Director and CEO of Duport Midstream Company Ltd, to bail with specific conditions.
Under the bail terms, Akindele is required to provide two sureties who can meet the N500 million bail amount collectively.
One of these sureties must possess property within the court’s jurisdiction and be a resident of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Additionally, Akindele is mandated to surrender his international passport to the court.
Recognizing the time constraints of the ongoing vacation period, which is nearing its end, Justice Muazu ruled that the case file be returned to the chief judge for subsequent reassignment to a regular court for further proceedings.
Akindele, who had been in police custody for several weeks, was arraigned on a one-count charge of offering a bribe. The charge alleges that he attempted to bribe officers investigating a funds diversion case against him in a bid to facilitate his departure from the country.
Upon the reading of the charge, Akindele pleaded not guilty, prompting his legal team to apply for bail on his behalf. The charge specifically states that Akindele offered a gratification of N150 million, with a partial payment of N50 million, to SP Ibrahim Sini, a public servant involved in his investigation, with the intention of securing his escape abroad and securing a favorable report.
The case file will be handed back to the chief judge for reassignment, as Justice Muazu acknowledged that the current vacation period’s conclusion would prevent the case’s timely conclusion.
