The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned a former Head of Service of the Federal Government, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye, for fraud and money laundering charges.
Oronsaye and other accused persons, as well as a firm, pleaded not guilt to the 24 counts when they were brought before Justice Gabriel Kolawole, on Monday.
The prosecution accused them of committing the procurement fraud in 2010 under the pretext of using the various sums of money, illegally withdrawn from the Federal Government’s account, for “biometric data capturing project.”
The offences, allegedly committed while Oronsaye was Head of Service of the Federal Government, were said to be contrary to provisions of section 14(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and section 1(1) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other related offences Act.
Meanwhile the EFCC has opposed a bail application made on his behalf of his lawyer.
Oronsaye’s counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), and that of the co-accused person, Oluwole Aladedoye, made an oral application, asking the court to release their clients on bail.
Agabi argued that under the new Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, an accused person was entitled to bail and oral application.
But EFCC’s prosecutor, Mr. Aliyu Yussuf, argued that oral application for bail was not permitted in view of the provisions of section 162 of the ACJA.
He said bail could only be granted judicially and judiciously and based on materials in the form of affidavit evidence placed before the court.
Yussuf asked the court to remand the accused persons to prison and sought an adjournment till Wednesday to enable him to respond to the written bail applications filed by the defence.
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