Posted by By ADESINA AIYEKOTI on
Former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani of Enugu State got a reprieve on Thursday, as a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos dismissed the preliminary objection filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) opposing his bail.
Former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani of Enugu State got a reprieve on Thursday, as a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos dismissed the preliminary objection filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) opposing his bail.
Nnamani, his Chief of Staff, Sylvia Onwubuemeli and Sunday Onyekazuru, currently facing charges on money laundering, were granted bail by the trial judge, Justice Peter Olayiwola.
Nnamani, who had been in prison custody since Thursday last week, was granted bail in the sum of N100 million with two sureties.
The sureties, Justice Olayiwola ordered, must have landed property either at Lekki Phase 1, Victoria Island or Ikeja. He also ordered that the sureties must swear to affidavit of means.
Besides providing the sureties, the court also ordered the former governor to deposit with the registrar of the court, his travel passport.
Dismissing the arguments canvassed by the EFCC opposing bail to the accused persons, the trial judge upheld the submissions of the two leading defence counsel in the case, Ricky Tarfa (SAN) and Chief Chris Uche (SAN) that Nnamani could not run away.
Commenting on his detention, Nnamani told newsmen that he had no grudge against anyone and sympathized with those who had been languishing in jail over their inabilities to meet conditions attached to their bail, ranging from N5,000 to N20,000.
Said Nnamani: "I have feelings for the community where I had spent few days. I have been part of prison life, even though I have the opportunity to achieve freedom but I can tell you that some young boys are in the prison there.
"I believe the experience will help in sensitizing me on the abysmal provision of infrastructure in the prison. On a daily basis, between 60 and 80 people are poured into prison. This would be an experience that would further enrich me," he declared.
Nnamani's counsel, Tarfa, had earlier pleaded with the court to disregard all the counter-affidavit filed by the prosecution, arguing that Nnamani, apart from being a former governor, is a serving senator, who would not jump bail.
"He will not commit any offence, neither will he interfere with any further investigations or prosecution of this case if granted bail. He is a law abiding citizen of Nigeria with no record of previous conviction by any court of law in this country or any part of the world."
It was also argued that due to the accused's deplorable state of health, the Chief Consultant/Physician/Nephrologist of the National Hospital Abuja, Dr E. A. Anteyi, had issued and signed a medical report dated July 23, 2007 that Nnamani's state of health was critical and needed close monitoring and treatment outside the country.
Meanwhile, following the bail granted the former governor, a group agitating for the release of the two commissioners in Nnamani's cabinet, including his former Political Adviser on Chieftaincy and Local Government Matter, Mr Sam Ejiofor, standing trial on similar charges, stormed the court demanding that they should be released.
They said that since the former governor and his Chief of Staff, had been released, there was no basis for another court to refuse bail to the special adviser and a former commissioner, who had been in detention for almost a year.
Nnamani and others are being tried on a 105-count charge bordering on money laundering.
They were alleged, among others, to have conspired to launder over N5.3 billion belonging to Enugu State government.
Corporate organizations charged along with Nnamani for the same offence are Rainbownet Nigeria Limited, Hillgate Nigeria Limited, Cosmo FM, Capital City Automobile (Nigeria) Limited, Renaissance University Teaching Hospital and Mea Matter Elizabeth High School.
Trial has been fixed for October 8, 2007.