Posted by From Lillian Okenwa in Abuja on
After being in police custody for over three weeks, a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), yesterday granted conditional bail to dismissed Magistrate, Bala Haruna, facing trial for criminal breach of trust and misappropriation.
After being in police custody for over three weeks, a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), yesterday granted conditional bail to dismissed Magistrate, Bala Haruna, facing trial for criminal breach of trust and misappropriation.
Haruna was arraigned on February 13, 2006 on a three- count charge of misappropriating over N2.3million belonging to the family of late Alhaji Sani Tela Yabo, said to be one of his closest friends.
Trial Judge, Justice Ugochukwu Ogakwu, of the High Court, Kubwa, had ordered for the remand of the accused after he pleaded not guilty to a three-count charge proffered against him by the state.
At the resume hearing, Barrister Omoluabi of the Federal Ministry of Justice who stood in for the Prosecutor, Muhammad Saidu Diri, told the court that the Federal Government was no longer opposed to the bail application of the accused since the offence is bailable.
In admitting the accused to bail, Justice Ogakwu gave three conditions, which include N2million bail bond by two sureties (N1 million each), Affidavit of means by the sureties, with one of them having landed property within the jurisdiction of the court and the other surety, a civil servant not below level 14.
The case was adjourned till February 23.