|
New Page 9
Court orders remand of former Ogun SSG
ABIODUN FELIX, Osogbo
AN Osogbo
magistrate court yesterday ordered the remand in prison custody of former
Secretary to the Osun State Government, (SSG) Mr. Sola Akinwumi, for alleged
complicity in the N126 million Bola Ige House scam.
Akinwumi and the commissioner for Finance
in the Bisi Akande administration, Chief Lere Adebayo, had been arraigned with
the Ige House project consultant, Mr. Lanre Oladeji.
The alleged scam had also led to threats
to arraign ex-governor Akande before the anti-corruption commission for
defrauding the state in the handling of construction of the new governor’s
office named Bola Ige House.
The accused were charged for conspiracy,
stealing, inducing, receiving and fraudulently defrauding the state government
to the tune of N126,467,725.87.
In the charge sheet, MOS/325c/2004,
Commissioner of Police Vs Arch Lanre Oladeji, 62, (1st accused), Chief Lere
Adebayo, 62, (2nd accused) and Sola Akinwumi, 64, (3rd accused), the trio were
alleged to have between August 30, 2001 and May 2, 2003 conspired to steal and
defraud the Osun State government up to the tune of N126,467,725.87kobo being
part of the money meant for the construction of Bola Ige House, in Osogbo, the
state capital.
In their plea all the accused persons
pleaded not guilty to all the five count charges. Counsel to the first accused
person, Bayo Alade and the leading counsel to the 2nd and 3rd accused persons,
Wale Afolabi, pleaded that the accused be granted bail. They based their
argument on the fact that the accused persons are prominent men in the society
who had always made themselves available to t he police. Citing sections of the
constitution to back up their argument, the defence counsels submitted that the
offence is a bailable one and urged court to grant the accused bail. Wale
Afolabi further said that the third accused person just underwent an operation
and such should also be granted bail.
In his submission, the prosector, Emmanuel
Obiakor (ACP), pleaded with the court not to grant bail to the accused. He
argued that it took the police about six months to assemble the accused and
there is the likelihood of the accused jumping bail.
He further argued that counsel to the
third accused person failed to present a valid evidence to prove that bail
should be granted on health grounds.
In his ruling, the trial magistrate, Mr.
Jide Falola, said that in view of the huge amount of money involved in the case,
he would prefer the defence counsels to make a formal application for bail. He
subsequently adjourned till Monday, December 6, and directed that the accused be
remanded in prison custody.
|
