A Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, Thursday, granted bail to Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, after she was re-arraigned before Justice Rilwan Aikawa by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Office.
The former law officer is facing an 18-count charge, bordering on breach of trust, false statement and unlawful enrichment.
A press statement by EFCC acting Head, Media & Publicity, Mr Tony Orilade, said she was charged alongside Godwin Obla (SAN).
He said the defendant allegedly received $655,000 and N35 million in several tranches from different sources between 2012 and 2015.
The spokesperson said she pleaded not guilty to charge when it was read to her and in view of her plea, the Prosecution Counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, asked the court for a trial date and prayed the court to remand the defendant in prison custody pending the determination of the case before the court.
However, the Defence Counsel, O. Akoni (SAN), told the court that, “the defence filed a bail application this morning due to the fact that the defendant was served with the charge on Wednesday, April 17, 2019.”
He, therefore, urged the court to admit his client to bail.
In his response, Oyedepo, who said he was served with the copy of the bail application in court this morning, said he would need time to peruse the affidavit in support of the motion for bail, since the defence relied on the motion.
The defence council then withdrew the bail application and opted to make an oral application and urged the court to take “judicial notice of the fact that the defendant is a judicial officer. The defendant is presumed innocent and the offences are bailable,” Akoni said.
Oyedepo, however, urged the court to take a further judicial notice on the decision of the National Judicial Council (NJC) which recommended the defendant’s dismissal.
Justice Aikawa granted the defendant bail in the sum of N10 million, with one surety in like sum, just as the surety must be a civil servant not below Grade Level 16 or a person with a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.
The court also directed the defendant to deposit her international passport with the court’s registrar. The judge also held that the bail conditions must be perfected within 10 days.
The defence counsel informed the court that the defendant’s passport had been with a State High Court in Ikeja, Lagos, and that application had been made to retrieve the passport.
He assured the court that the passport would be provided before the close of work Thursday.
He further prayed the court to release the defendant to the defence, pending the perfection of the bail conditions.
Justice Aikawa, consequently, ordered the defence to produce the international passport on or before 600pm and also ordered the release of the defendant to the defence counsel.
The Judge further ordered the second defendant, Obla, to appear before the court on May 15, 2019, and adjourned the case to May 15, for commencement of trial.
The spokesperson said first defendant, Ofili-Ajumogobia, was re-arrested by the operatives of the EFCC to enable the commission prefer fresh criminal charges against her after a State High Court said it had no jurisdiction to hear the same suit, which she was arraigned for Thursday.
