Both the prosecution and the defence in the trial of a former Head
of Service, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye, for alleged N1.18bn fraud on Monday
had to plead with the presiding judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, of a
Federal High Court in Abuja, before he agreed to continue handling the
case.
Oronsaye along with his co-accused, Osarenkhoe Afe, were on July
13 arraigned on 24 counts of fraud before Justice Kolawole and granted
bail on July 21.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Monday, Justice Kolawole
indicated to withdraw from the case because of an earlier comment made
by the lead prosecuting counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacob (SAN).
The judge was apparently not happy with Jacob’s complaint that the
court had technically granted bail to Oronsaye when he was allowed to go
home after his arraignment on July 13 even before his bail application
was argued by his lawyer, on July 21.
He therefore declined to continue hearing the case on Monday.
But the judge rescinded his decision after both the defence
counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN) and the prosecuting counsel, who
represented Jacob on Monday, Mr. Leke Atolagbe, pleaded with him to
overlook the lead prosecutor’s comment.
The judge then adjourned the matter till October 28 and 29.
Justice Kolawole had granted bail to Oronsaye on self-recognition.
But for the co-accused, Osarenkhoe Afe, the sum of N50m with two
sureties, one of whom must not be less than Grade Level 16 in either
federal or state government establishments was needed.
The judge also ruled that one of Afe’s sureties must have property worth N75m within Abuja.
He ordered that both Oronsaye and Afe must deposit their passports and other travel documents with the court registrar.
Justice Kolawole ordered that in the event that the accused persons
were unable to meet the bail conditions within one week, they should be
re-arrested and remanded in Kuje prison in Abuja.
Afe is the Managing Director of Fredrick Hamilton Global Services
Limited, a company named as the third accused in the 24 counts preferred
against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The EFCC is prosecuting the accused persons for allegedly
defrauding the Federal Government to the tune of N118,992,201.6, under
the guise of paying the money in tranches for the contract of biometric
data capture project between March 2010 and December 2011.
The fraud was allegedly perpetrated through awarding and payment
for phoney contracts to nine companies including Innovative Solutions,
Fredrick Hamilton Global Serices, Xangee Technologies Limited, Fatideck
Ventures, Obalando Nigeria Enterprises, Moshfad Enterprises and Fesbee
Global Resources Limited.
Other companies through which the accused persons allegedly
siphoned the money from the Federal Government included Jolance
Integrated Concept Limited and M.OF Investment Limited.
One other person, who was allegedly involved in the fraud, Abdulrasheed Maina, was said to be on the run.
The accused persons were charged under section 14 of the Money
Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 and section 1(1) of the Advance Fee
Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
The fraud offences were said to be punishable under section 1(3) of
the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
