The prosecution told Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court, Lagos, yesterday, that
the fund involved in the case against the Managing Director of Capital
Oil and Gas, Dr. Ifeanyi Uba and four others can conveniently settle the
monthly allocation of 11 states from the Federation Account.
The
police prosecutor has, therefore, prayed the court to turn down the
bail application of the accused pending the conclusion of investigation,
arguing that Ifeanyi Uba can interfere with the investigation.
The officials of Uba’s company detained with him are Joseph Orji, Chibuzo Ogbuokiri, Gidfrey Okorie and Nsikan Usoro.
In
an affidavit filed by the police and argued by Mr Godwin Oblah and
Prince Aderemi Adekile to oppose the bail application by the Capital Oil
boss and four others, the police argued that releasing him now would
jeopardise their on-going investigations, which may truncate their case
in court.
Uba, through his counsel, Mr Joseph Nwobike, SAN,
however, urged the court to discountenance the police arguments, saying
detaining him (Uba) beyond 48 hours as stipulated by law was a violation
of his fundamental rights.
He argued that the alleged offence
for which the applicants were remanded did not constitute a capital
offence, stressing that the provisions of section 35(4) of the 1999
constitution clearly protect the liberty of the individual which the
court must ensure it protects.
The police in its counter
affidavit argued that contrary to what the applicants filed in their
ex-parte application, cogent facts were concealed from the court to the
extent that the applicants failed to show that they were detained on the
order of a magistrate court, and that it was done deliberately to
mislead the court.
According to the police, Uba was still being
investigated on account of other allegations on money laundering,
forgery of shipping documents and stealing by conversion of petroleum
products worth about $280 million.
The police averred that “the
applicants’ fraudulent acts were against the entire Nigerian society and
had impacted adversely on the economy and general wel- being of the
country.
“The total amount wrongfully and fraudulently obtained
through the connivance and activities of the applicants is equivalent to
the monthly statutory allocation from the Federation Account for 11
states in the federation.”
No comments:
Post a Comment