A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday granted bail in the sum of N300m and two sureties in like sum to a former Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele.
Justice Hamza Muazu, while ruling on his bail application, said the sureties must have Certificates of Occupancy and titles of property within the Maitama District.
The judge also ordered Emefiele to deposit all his travel documents with the registrar of the court and to remain within the Abuja Municipal Area Council, adding that the former CBN governor be kept in Kuje Correctional Centre till he meets the bail conditions.
Emefiele is standing trial for alleged procurement fraud.
The Federal Government had initially preferred 20 procurement fraud charges to N6.5 billion against the former CBN governor.
But the FG reduced the charges to six to N1.2bn, which he was arraigned last Friday.
Muazu, at the last proceeding, remanded Emefiele in Kuje prison pending his ruling on the former CBN governor’s bail application.
He adjourned the matter till November 28 for the commencement of trial.
The Informant247 had, on November 17, reported how the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, ordered that Godwin Emefiele, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, be remanded in the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the determination of his bail request.
The Informant247 gathered that Emefiele is standing trial on an alleged procurement fraud, which had been stalled on three occasions and finally held on Friday.
The Federal Government had initially preferred 20 procurement fraud charges to N6.5 billion against the former CBN governor.
Meanwhile, the FG reduced the charges to six to over N1bn, which he was arraigned on Friday.
However, Mathew Burkaa SAN, Emefiele’s counsel, at the proceedings, moved the bail application, but the FG counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, vehemently opposed granting bail to the former CBN governor.
The presiding judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, said a bench ruling could not be delivered in view of the plethora of authorities cited by the two parties, adding that he needed a little time to study the authorities and peruse through the exhibits supplied by Emefiele to support his request for bail.
He, however, ordered that Emefiele be remanded at the Kuje prison pending the determination of his bail application.
Muazu then adjourned the case till November 22 for a ruling on the bail application and November 28 for the commencement of trial.
His remand order is coming after Justice Olukayode Adeniyi ordered that he should be released to his lawyers on November 8 after spending 151 days in detention.
The Informant247 had, on November 8, reported that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja granted bail to the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
Olukayode Adeniyi, the presiding judge, while delivering a ruling on the bail application filed by the former CBN governor, ordered the federal government to release Emefiele to his lawyers.
Adeniyi also ordered the lawyers to ensure that Emefiele is produced for arraignment whenever needed and that his international passport should be deposited before the court.
The Informant247 had earlier reported that Emefiele was brought to the Court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Emefiele, who was last week transferred from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), was surrounded by officials of the anti-graft agency.
It was earlier gathered that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Monday, failed to bring the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, to court.
EFCC’s action was against Thursday’s order by the Federal Capital Territory High Court, ordering the commission to either release him or produce him in court for the hearing of a motion on his bail.
However, at the court proceedings on Monday, the former CBN governor was absent.
