They were arraigned before Justice O.O. Majekodunmi by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 18-count charge.The charges included intention to defraud, conspiracy to defraud, stealing and conversion of 1.5 million property of FUNAAB and unlawful deposit of N442.8 million in fixed deposit account without due process.
At the end of proceedings, Oyewole and Ogunlewe were granted N50 million bail each while Ilesanmi was sent back to EFCC custody because his counsel, Mr. Adedamola Lapite arrived court late so his application for bail could not be filed for it to be argued.
Three staff members of the university had, in August, sent a petition to the EFCC against the three suspects, accusing them of fraudulent activities.
The institution’s Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) called an indefinite strike when the suspects continued to function in office.
But two weeks ago, the Governing Council dismissed 23 of the staff, explaining that due to re-organisation in the university system, their services were no longer required.The suspects were brought to court yesterday in a white Toyota Hiace bus at 8.38a.m. Before their arrival, the institution’s SSANU members had besieged the court premises.Journalists had hectic time before few of them could enter the courtroom due to its small size.
The prosecution counsel is Dr. Benedict Ubi. Benjamin Ogunmodede led one other counsel for Oyewole while Mr. Wale Adesokan (SAN) led the legal team of Ogunlewe; Ilesanmi was represented by Adedamola Lapite.
The three accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges.Counsel to Ogunlewe and Oyewole prayed the court to grant their clients bail in liberal conditions pending the trial.The counsel who spoke in turn hinged their arguments on the status of their respective clients and the fact that they had not jumped bail since the EFCC granted them administrative bail when they were first invited in September.
They also informed the court that the international passports of their clients were already with the EFCC.Ogunmodede specifically argued that continued detention of Oyewole, his client would affect the smooth running of the institution.
Adesokan also argued that the charges against Ogunlewe were bailable offences.The EFCC counsel, Mr. Benedict Ubi, however, opposed the bail applications, arguing that Oyewole and Ogunlewe, while on administrative bail interfered “in the affairs” of the school to the detriment of the trial.
He informed the court that Oyewole in connivance with Ogunlewe, while on administrative bail had sacked 23 staff members of the school, some of whom would have been called as witnesses during the case.
After much argument on the bail applications, the judge ordered that Ilesanmi be remanded in the EFCC custody pending the hearing of his bail application on Monday.
She, however, granted Ogunlewe and Oyewole bail in the sum of N50 million each and two sureties in like sum.The judge insisted that the two sureties must be owners of landed property within the judicial division of the court and deposit their title documents with the court.
She also ordered that the sureties must be on a minimum of Grade Level 15 with the Ogun State Civil Service and also deposit their international passports with the court.Justice Majekodunmi also ordered that Ogunlewe and Oyewole be remanded in prison custody pending perfection of the bail terms.She adjourned the case to December 16, 19 and 20 for trial.
