The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele has pleaded not guilty to alleged charge of unlawful obtaining an Abuja property estate containing 753 housing units.
The former CBN helmsman on Monday, gave plea to the entire eight count charge, which included fraud and forgery, filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
After his plea, the prosecution counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, urged the court for an accelerated hearing of the matter in pursuit of the EFCC’s establishment Act to avoid unnecessary delays.
While he sought a date for commencement of trial, he prayed that Emefiele be remanded in custody of the correctional center.
Emefiele’s lawyer, Mr Mathew Burkaa, SAN in his argument informed the court that he has filed for the bail of the defendant on June 13, saying that since the prosecution did not file any counter affidavit, it is presumed that he was not opposed to the grant of the bail application.
He also drew the court’s attention to the fact that the defendant is already being tried by the prosecution in three other matters, and this is the fourth, saying that Emefiele was granted bail in the three matters.
In his ruling, trial judge Justice Yusuf Halilu held that bail is constitutional and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
Justice Halilu, who observed that the highest offense in the land is treasonable felony, noted that the court had, on several occasions, admitted defendants to bail.
“I have seen the charge filed against the defendant. Although the defendant did not file counter, he, however raised some concerns in some parts of the affidavit in support of the application, and those issues are hereby struck out, “the judge held.
In granting Emefiele bail, the judge also recognized that Emefiele did not jump the bail granted by Justice Maryanne Anenih and Justice Hamza Muazu
As part of conditions attached to the new bail, Justice Halilu that the defendant travel documents already before Justice mauza is attached, provide two sureties who must own landed property within the jurisdiction of the court worth N2 billion naira.
The sureties in addition must sign an undertaking to always ensure Emefiele is in court during the trial and will be jailed if the defendant jumps bail or forfeit the property.
Responding, Burkaa prayed the court to release the defendant to the defense team for at least seven days to enable the defendant to perfect his bail.
Oyedepo, however, raised an objection, stating that it would amount to variation of the bail.
He claimed further that the conditions of the bail are not something the defendant would find difficult to meet.
The judge, however, ordered that Emefiele has till Wednesday to perfect the bail or be remanded in the Kuje Correctional Center, Abuja.
Meanwhile, the court fixed July 11 for commencement of trial.
Recall that Emefiele had, through his lawyer, challenged the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the suit on the grounds that he was not in anyway linked with the charge.