Orosanye gets bail in N2b alleged scam

FORMER Head of Service of the Federation (HoSF), Stephen Oronsaye, and his co-accused persons have got reprieve as the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court yesterday authorised their release from custody pending the hearing of their bail applications.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole ordered their release shortly after the accused persons were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 24-count charge of ‎money laundering and others.

The court adjourned to October 28 for commencement of trial in the N2 billion pension fraud case, which also involved the former chairman of the defunct Pension Reforms Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, said to be on the run.

Oronsaye is alleged to have been complicit in several contract awards between 2010 and 2011 during his tenure as HoS, when they used Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited and Xangee Technologies Limited for shady biometrics enrolment deals to the tune of N2 billion.

The parties pleaded not guilty to the charges, and following their plea, counsel to EFCC, Aliyu Yusuf, asked the court for a trial date and to remand the accused persons in prison custody. He also notified the court that the prosecution has 18 witnesses it intends to present during the trial.

Yusuf also told the court that he received the application late and needed to file a counter-affidavit. He further stressed that the EFCC would not be able to accommodate the accused persons, urging the court to order them remanded in prison custody, which Justice Kolawole declined.

However, counsel to Oronsaye, Kanu Agabi (SAN), while expressing readiness for the commencement of bail trial, gave an oral application, noting that the defence wanted “a speedy end to the matter.” He told that court that he has also filed a formal bail application.

Oluwole Aladedoye, who is counsel to the other accused, Osarenkhoe Afe, as well as the third accused, Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited, also gave an oral application for bail aligning with Agabi’s argument. He informed the court that he has also filed a formal bail application.

However, before adjourning till July 21 for hearing of their bail request, the judge ordered that the accused be held until their lawyers, with written undertakings, assure that they would produce their clients in court at the next hearing dates.

According to Kolawole, the fact that the EFCC had not indicated that the accused persons, particularly Oronsaye, had the tendency of evading trial, made it easy to reach that decision. He also fixed October 28, 29, November 3, 5 and December 5 for trial.

He then released them on “the strength of their counsel, who must sign an undertaking within the next 48 hours that the accused shall return to court on the date fixed for the hearing of the bail applications.”