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A CTF High Court sitting in Jabi on Thursday ordered that the former chairman of the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, Ngozi Olejeme, be remanded in custody until Friday by the Crimes Commission economic and financial, EFCC.
The judge, Judge Maryam Hassan, issued the order after listening to the two lawyers pleading with the accused’s bail application.
She, therefore, ordered that the accused be placed in the custody of the EFCC pending the decision on the bail application on Friday.
Ms Olejeme is on trial in an alleged case of criminal association, abuse of power, embezzlement of public funds and money laundering.
The offence she allegedly committed between 2012 and 2015, when she was chair of the NSITF board of directors.
The charge of non-count bordering on mismanagement, misrepresentation, withdrawal from contracts and the diversion of NSITF funds to personal accounts and companies in which it had an interest, formed the basis of the claim. in charge of the accused.
One of the charges alleged that the funds had been embezzled through the awarding of suspicious contracts to proxy firms.
The offence claimed violated the provisions of Sections 8,19 (1) (b) (1), punishable under the Corrupt Practice & Other Related Offense Act 2000 and Section 17, (1) (2 ), 39 of the EFCC (Establishment) Law of 2004 and punishable under the same article.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges against her.
With the accused pleading not guilty, prosecution attorney Steve Odiase requested a court date to allow the prosecution to prove their charge against the accused.
Defendant’s attorney, Paul Erokoro, SAN, therefore, informed the court of the bail application dated and filed on October 18 before him.
Mr Erokoro argued that the request was supported by a 20 paragraph affidavit attached with six exhibits.
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He also informed the court that his client was not in danger of running away, as she returned voluntarily to Nigeria when she learned that the prosecution wanted to question her.
Mr Erokoro further said his client came to the Commission’s office when she was questioned and released on bail in 2017.
The lawyer also urged the court to grant his client bail on self-acknowledgement or in the alternative, on the most liberal terms.
He said the bail request was medically based as the accused had been diabetic and hypertensive for 30 years.
In addition, the lawyer said the accused had four major surgeries in the United States and South Africa.
He further said that four months ago the accused suffered from heart failure and was infected with the Covid-19 virus in September.
He added that the defendant had been scheduled for another follow-up surgery for November in South Africa.
Mr Erokoro said the defendant’s recent medical report from a medical facility indicated that she needed close medical supervision as her condition may lead to a medical emergency.
Odiase, for his part, responded that he did not oppose the request for bail, but did oppose the granting of bail on self-commitment as submitted. by defence counsel.
He said there was no consideration for bail on self-recognition in section 165 (1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.
He urged the court to give the defendant a bond with a reasonable guarantee.
The court, therefore, adjourned until Friday to rule on the bail application.
