The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday admitted a former acting governor of Adamawa, Umaru Fintiri, to bail in the sum of N500 million and two sureties in like sum.
The judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, in his ruling, said the prosecution had failed to show reasonable cause why the defendant should not be granted bail.
Mohammed held that Fintiri would also deposit his International Passport with the court and would not travel abroad within the period of the trial except with the permission of the court.
The court held that the sureties must own properties within Abuja and deposit title Deeds of the properties and two recent photographs with the court.
He would remain in prison custody pending the perfection of his bail conditions.
The court rejected the claim of the prosecution led by Mr Peters Aso that Fintiri would jump bail.
He said that the claim could not be sustained because the defendant did not jump the administrative bail earlier granted him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The judge added that the first defendant had deposed to the fact that while on administrative bail by EFCC, he did not do anything to jeopardise further investigation of the case.
The court said that the anti-graft agency accepted the statement to be true.
While maintaining that granting of bail was at the discretion of the court, he said that Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act spelt out the conditions.
Mohammed held that “where the circumstances enumerated in the law do not exist, the defendant is entitled to bail.
Aso, however drew attention of the court to the fact that one of the first defendant’s International Passports was with the EFCC.
He insisted that the first defendant had a second passport and that he should be made to remit the second one to the court.
While accepting to submit the passport in the possession of EFCC to the court, he insisted that the first defendant must submit the one in his custody to the court.
His argument was that the former governor wrote to the EFCC that he wanted to travel for lesser hajj but did not request for his passport.
The prosecuting counsel said this could only mean that he had another passport.
The defence counsel, Prof. Maxwell Gidado (SAN), said this was not possible under law since he was no longer a government official to own one official and one ordinary passport.
In his responds, the judge said the issue would be ironed out during the perfection of bail conditions.
He said the defendant would be expected to sign an undertaking stating that the only passport he had was that which was submitted to EFCC.
Fintiri was on Thursday arraigned by EFCC on a five- count charge bordering on money laundering involving about two billion naira.
The former governor was alleged to have defrauded the state government to the tune of N970 million and another $4. 8 million during the three months period he held sway as chief executive officer of the state.
Fintiri denied all the charges.
He claimed that the money in question was his personal money and not that of Adamawa government as alleged by EFCC in the charge preferred against him.
The matter has been adjourned till Oct. 6 for commencement of trial. (NAN)