Court grants NERC boss, 6 others bail on stringent terms

[size=13pt][size=14pt]Court grants NERC boss, 6 others bail on stringent terms.[/size][/size]


An Abuja high court sitting in Maitama, today gave stringent conditions that must be fulfilled by the embattled chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Mr Ransome Owan and six other top officials of the commission, before they could enjoy some measure of respite from the grip of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), who is prosecuting them over their alleged perpetration of N5 billion fraud in the NERC.

Ruling on their bail applications today, trial Justice Salisu Garba who presided over the case, said that he relied on his discretionary powers as contained in sections 304 and 341 of the Criminal Procedure Codes (CPC), to grant them temporary freedom.

He however gave some conditions that they are expected to fulfil before they would be released from custody, which includes that they deposit N100m each in like sum, as bond to ensure that they don’t run away from prosecution.

The were also ordered to tender their travelling documents to the court registrar as well as produce two suttees each, who must not only be resident in Abuja, but owners of landed properties in either Asokoro, Maitama, Gariki, or Wuse districts of the FCT.

The Judge further mandated all the accused persons to report to the EFCC on every first and last Monday of the month.

He however dismissed the fears of the EFCC that the NERC officials may interfere with the processes of investigations, if released from detention.

According to him “having been removed from their offices, they don’t have access to interfere with the on-going investigations, therefore in view of the fact that they did not jump bail while on administrative bail from EFCC, I hereby rely on the provisions of sec. 340 and 341 of the CPC to exercise my discretion in their favour ” he today ruled.

Nevertheless, The embattled NERC officials were displeased with the bail conditions stipulated by the court for their release.

Counsel to the NERC boss, Mr Paul Erokoro, maintained that the terms were too stiff and that his client may find it too difficult to fulfil.

He said he would re-approach the court to review the ruling and exercise additional discretion in the matter.

It would be recalled that these NERC top officials, who are Mr. Ransome Owan, Mal. Abdurahmanb Ado, Prof. Onwuameze C. Iloje, Dr. Abdulrazaq M. Alimi, Engr. Mohammed B.G Bunu, Engr.Abimbora Odubiyi and Dr. Grace Eyoma were arraigned by the EFCC before an Abuja high court on 22 April over the alleged roles they played to defraud the NERC to the tune of N5 billion, upon which the anti-graft agency filed 197 criminal count charges against them before the Abuja high court.