Justice Saliu Seidu of the Federal High Court
sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday, November 16, 2018 granted bail to a
former Executive Director on Projects, Niger Delta Development
Commission, NDDC, Tuoyo Omatsuli and one Francis Momoh in the sum
of N100m each.
The defendants are facing trial on a 45-count
charge bordering on conspiracy and money laundering to the tune of N3, 645,
000, 000.00 (Three Billion, Six Hundred and Forty- Five Million Naira) only.
Omatsuli and Momoh, who were charged alongside
their companies, Don Parker Properties Limited and Building Associates
Limited respectively, were said to have shown personal interests in the
consultancy contract awarded to Starline Consultancy Services Limited by
the NDDC, thereby enriching themselves unlawfully.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the
charge when it was read to them.
Counsels to the defendants had, at the last sitting
on November 8, 2018, applied for bail on behalf of their clients.
Consequently, the Judge had adjourned to November
16, 2018 (today) for hearing of the bail applications.
In his ruling on the applications today, Justice
Seidu granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N100m (One Hundred Million Naira)
each with two sureties in like sum. The sureties must be residents in
Lagos.
One of the sureties must be a civil servant and
a blood relation of the defendants, who must have a landed property in
Lagos with the Certificate of Occupancy, C of O.
The other surety must be a Deputy Director in any
Ministry in Lagos.
The defendants were ordered to submit their
international passports to the court's registrar.
The Judge also held that the court's registrar and
the prosecutor must be satisfied with the sureties.
The Judge ordered the defendants to be remanded in
prison custody pending the perfection of their bail conditions.
The matter
was adjourned to January 8, 2019 for commencement of trial.
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