ALLEGED N1.9 FRAUD: Oronsaye secures bail on self recognition

Co-accused to pay N50 million with two sureties

ABUJA—Former Head of Service of the Federation, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye, who is facing a 24-count criminal charge that was preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was yesterday, granted bail by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on self recognizance.

In a ruling yesterday, trial Justice Gabriel Kolawole said he was minded to exercise his discretion in favour of Oronsaye in view of the position he formerly occupied in the Nigerian Federal Civil Service, noting that documents before the court showed that even a former Senate President, Mr. Ken Nnamani had volunteered to stand as a surety for the accused person.

It will be recalled that Justice Kolawole had shortly after Oronsaye was docked on July 13, allowed him to go home on the strength of an undertaking that was signed by his team of 20 lawyers led by a former Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN.

*Mr. Stephen Oronsaye

Despite a stiff opposition from the EFCC which requested that the erstwhile head of service and his alleged accomplice, Mr. Osarenkhoe Afe be remanded in prison custody pending the hearing and determination of their separate bail application, the trial Judge released the accused person, saying he was convinced that they would make themselves available for trial.

Nevertheless, the court adjourned hearing on their formal bail applications till yesterday.

At the resumed sitting on the matter yesterday, the EFCC through its lawyer Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, expressed its displeasure with the action of the judge in releasing the accused persons even before their bail requests were heard.

Rotimi maintained that there was no need for him to go ahead and argue the counter-affidavit that the commission filed against Oronsaye’s bail application.

“My lord we are handicapped to object to the bail application today since it was already granted by this court on the last adjourned date”, he contended.

On their part, the defence lawyers pleaded the court to in line with the confidence it reposed on their clients on the last adjourned date, okay their bail requests.

Specifically, Oronsaye’s lawyer, Agabi, SAN, prayed that his client should be released on self recognizance, an application that was accordingly granted by the court yesterday.

While granting the bail applications, Justice Kolawole stressed that the offences contained in the charge against the accused persons were prima-facie bailable.

According to him, “It does not matter as to the amount of public funds purportedly stolen, misapplied or mismanaged. The 1st defendant in my view does not pose a flight risk.”

Even though Oronsaye was granted bail in self recognizance, he was however ordered to surrender both his diplomatic and international passports to the Deputy Chief Registrar of the High Court.

The court further ordered the 2nd accused person, Afe to pay the sum of N50 million with two sureties in like sum. One of the sureties according to the court must be a civil or public servant who is still in service or retired at grade level 16.