A Federal High Court in Benin, Edo State, on
Monday, granted bail to a younger brother of former Edo State governor,
Chief Lucky Igbinedion, Michael, after two weeks in prison custody,
Justice Adamu Hobon also granted bail to an aide of the former governor, Patrick Eboigbodin, who was charged along with the Igbinedions and four others in a 62-count charge bordering on corruption and conversion of public funds to private use.
Hobon, while granting the plea for bail said the two accused must present sureties with N10m deposit in any bank, and the amount must always be there throughout the duration of the trial.
The sureties according to the bail conditions must be owners of landed property worth N100m.
They must also be house owners and not tenants.”
Igbinedion, Eboigbodin and three others were accused by the EFCC of acting as surrogates for former governor, Lucky Igbinedion, and diverting state funds running into billions of naira.
The two accused are to deposit their international passports, residency permits and other vital travelling documents throughout the duration of the trial.
In the original case instituted by the EFCC on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, suit number FHC/11C/11 against Lucky Igbinedion, Patrick Eboigbodin, Michael Igbinedion, Gava Corporation, Romrig Nigeria Limited, PML Securities Company Limited and PML (Nigeria) Limited, on February 8, before Justice Hobon, the anti-corruption agency sought to prosecute six accused persons.
While the former Edo governor was discharged and acquitted of all the offences, for what Hobon said would have amounted to “suffering double jeopardy,” having been tried and convicted in 2008 for the same offences by an Enugu High Court, Michael and Eboigbodin’s plea on similar grounds was rejected.
By James Azania, Benin Courtesy Of: Punch
Justice Adamu Hobon also granted bail to an aide of the former governor, Patrick Eboigbodin, who was charged along with the Igbinedions and four others in a 62-count charge bordering on corruption and conversion of public funds to private use.
Hobon, while granting the plea for bail said the two accused must present sureties with N10m deposit in any bank, and the amount must always be there throughout the duration of the trial.
The sureties according to the bail conditions must be owners of landed property worth N100m.
They must also be house owners and not tenants.”
Igbinedion, Eboigbodin and three others were accused by the EFCC of acting as surrogates for former governor, Lucky Igbinedion, and diverting state funds running into billions of naira.
The two accused are to deposit their international passports, residency permits and other vital travelling documents throughout the duration of the trial.
In the original case instituted by the EFCC on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, suit number FHC/11C/11 against Lucky Igbinedion, Patrick Eboigbodin, Michael Igbinedion, Gava Corporation, Romrig Nigeria Limited, PML Securities Company Limited and PML (Nigeria) Limited, on February 8, before Justice Hobon, the anti-corruption agency sought to prosecute six accused persons.
While the former Edo governor was discharged and acquitted of all the offences, for what Hobon said would have amounted to “suffering double jeopardy,” having been tried and convicted in 2008 for the same offences by an Enugu High Court, Michael and Eboigbodin’s plea on similar grounds was rejected.
By James Azania, Benin Courtesy Of: Punch
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