Court denies Akingbola’s request for overseas treatment

Dr Erastus Akingbola

A Lagos High Court, Ikeja, on Thursday, denied a request by former Managing Director of Intercontinental Bank Plc, Mr. Erastus Akingbola, to travel to the United Kingdom for medical treatment.

Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, in refusing Akingbola’s application, said he failed to provide sufficient proof that his condition required urgent medical attention.

Akingbola is standing trial along with General Manager, Tropics Security Ltd, Bayo Dada, for allegedly stealing about N47.1bn belonging to Intercontinental Bank (now Access Bank Plc).

Counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Edward Okpe, while opposing the application on Wednesday, said there were 10 medical institutions in Lagos and Abuja, which could treat the undisclosed ailment suffered by Akingbola.

Onigbanjo said it was “certainly erroneous” on Akingbola’s part to think he had legal rights to seek treatment from anywhere of his choice without necessarily having to satisfy the court with sufficient proof.

He said, “The first defendant (Akingbola) failed to disclose any current serious medical condition that will make the court to grant this application.

“There is no evidence that he consulted any specialist hospital in Nigeria before making the application.

“He failed to attach a medical report from a Nigerian specialist hospital that the ailment can only be treated outside the country.

“The prayer accordingly fails.”

EFCC had opposed Akingbola’s application, saying he could abscond from trial if he has travelling passport released to him.

The matter started afresh before Onigbanjo, last February 26, following the elevation of the former trial judge, Justice Habeeb Abiru, to the Court of Appeal.

The EFCC had argued that the full knowledge of the prosecution’s case, available to Akingbola now “may provide an incentive for him to take to flight and frustrate the fresh trial”.

Meanwhile, the court relaxed the bail term making it mandatory for Akingbola and his co-accused, Dada, to report at the EFCC’s office first working day of every month.

The directive was part of the bail terms granted them on June 13, 2011 by Abiru.

Onigbanjo, who relaxed the bail term, directed that the accused should only report to the EFCC on first and third Friday of every month.

In acceding to the request of the defence lawyers, Onigbanjo said the weekly reporting at the EFCC office had “outlived its usefulness”, as the anti-graft agency had failed to conduct further investigation of the accused persons since the imposition of the condition in 2011.

PUNCH