Justice A. R. Mohammed of the Federal High
Court, Abuja has granted permission to a former NNPC Boss, Andrew Yakubu to
travel to the United Kingdom for medical check-up.
Ruling on the application brought by Yakubu’s
counsel, Ahmed Raji, SAN, Justice Mohammed said, “since the prosecuting counsel
is not opposing the defendant’s motion dated 23rd May, 2017 seeking leave to be
granted to the defendant to travel to the United Kingdom to continue treatment,
the application is granted.”
The judge also agreed with the prosecuting
counsel, Prince Ben Ikani, that the international passport of the defendant be
released to his counsel in the interim adding that, “the leave is granted is
for a period of three weeks commencing from May 25, 2017”.
Other conditions attached to the release of
the passport are: “The defendant shall return to the country on or before the
expiration of the three weeks granted; One of the sureties of the defendant
shall file a separate affidavit to be liable in this case should the defendant
refuse to return and take his trial; The same affidavit shall be filed before
the international passport is released to the defendant’s solicitor; Upon his
return from his medical trip, the learned counsel to the defendant shall
immediately return the international passport to the chief registrar of the
court”.
The case has been adjourned to July 6, 2017
for continuation of trial.
Yakubu’s
troubles started on February 3, 2017, when operatives of the EFCC stormed a
building belonging to the former NNPC boss and recovered a staggering sum of
$9,772,000 (Nine Million, Seven Hundred and Seventy Two Thousand United States
Dollars) and £74,000 (Seventy Four Thousand Pound Sterling) stashed in a huge
fire proof safe.
Following
the raid, Yakubu on February 8, 2017 reported to the Commission’s Kano Zonal
Office where he admitted being the owner of both the house and the money
recovered.
The offence breaches Section 7(4)(b)(ii) of
the Advance Fee Fraud & Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable
under Section 7 (5) of the same Act.
He is currently facing a six-count charge of
money laundering, non-disclosure of assets and fraud.
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