A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Maitama has granted N500 million bail to a Lagos businessman and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Duport Midstream Company Ltd., Dr. Akintoye Akindele, accused of offering a N50 million bribe to men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

Ruling yesterday, Justice Hamza Muazu rejected the request of prosecution lawyer, Simon Lough (SAN), to prolong Akindele’s detention pending conclusion of investigation by the force.

The judge agreed with the defence counsel, Henry Eni-Otu, that the offence, with which the defendant is charged, was available.

He proceeded to admit Akindele to bail at N500 million, with two sureties in like sum.

Justice Muazu, who is sitting as a vacation judge, said one of the sureties must own landed property within the court’s jurisdiction and be resident of Abuja.

He ordered the defendant to deposit his international passport with the court.

The judge noted that since it will be impossible to conclude the case during the vacation, it would be wiser to return the case file to the court’s Chief Judge for reassignment.

Consequently, he ordered the transfer of the case file to the CJ.

Akindele, who has been in police custody for weeks, was arraigned yesterday on the one-count charge in a suit marked: CR/595/2023 and filed in the name of the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

The prosecution claimed that the defendant offered to bribe policemen, who were investigating a case of fund diversion brought against him, to escape justice.

It argued that the alleged offence is punishable under Section 118 of the Penal Code Law.

Akindele, however, pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him, following which his lawyer applied for bail.