Posted by By ADESINA AIYEKOTI on
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday pleaded with the Federal High Court, Lagos not to grant bail to....
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday pleaded with the Federal High Court, Lagos not to grant bail to the former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Deprieye Alamieyeseigha, just as the Metropolitan Police, London denied aiding the accused to escape from Britain last year.
This is coming even as the British police alleged that Alamieyeseigha's wife, Margaret, arrested in London on November 8, 2005 for money laundering, jumped bail.
Countering the affidavit deposed to by Alamieyeseigha, currently facing allegations of money laundering and illegal purchase of property, including Chelsea Hotel, Abuja, the Metropolitan police described the allegation as "fabrication."
"The accusation in the affidavit is completely untrue. No police officers were armed. He was not driven to Nigeria. This is fabrication. He was not taken to an airstrip and forcibly removed from the country," Metropolitan police said.
The Metropolitan police further explained that: "There were only two occasions when the Metropolitan police officers officially entered 247 Water Gardens. The first occasion was on the 15th September, 2005 where a search warrant was executed in the presence of DSP's sons and approximately £1 million cash was found and seized. DSP was not present on this occasion as he was under arrest at a police station.
"The second time was on the 8th November, 2005 when we arrested DSP's wife, Margaret for money laundering. DSP was present but he never left the premises and he was present when it was searched and cash totalling approx £75K was seized. Margaret was taken to Paddington Green Police Station alone, where she was questioned and released on conditional bail similar to DSP. She subsequently jumped bail at the same time as DSP. She is also wanted but there is no arrest warrant," the Metropolitan police said.
Meanwhile, the three defence lawyers to Alamieyeseigha and his six companies, Professor Alfred Kasumu (SAN), Chief Mike Ozekhome and Mike Okoye, insisted on Tuesday that the former governor should be granted bail.
The bail, if granted, according to Ozekhome, would allow the accused the opportunity to travel out for medical treatment.
Also pressing for bail, Mike Okoye said it was wrong to deny Alamieyeseigha bail in his own country while a foreign country allowed him bail on health ground.
"Do they want him to die here?" he queried.
Opposing the bail application for the accused, lead counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs, urged the trial judge not to grant the application, citing an incident in London, when the former governor jumped bail.
Justice Mohammed Shuaib has fixed ruling for July 31, 2006.