Oil Deal: Court Grants Omokore and 3 others N50bn Bail each

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, docked oil tycoon and partner to former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, Mr. Jide Omokore, in the witness of the Federal High Court in Abuja.



Omokore was charged close by the former Managing Director of Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, Victor Briggs; previous Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production of NNPC, Abiye Membere; and previous Manager, Planning and Commercial of the NNPC, David Mbanefo.

Omokore Also charged by the counter join office were two corporate substances, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Limited.

 The blamed persons alternated and argued not liable to a nine-count charge EFCC entered as a detriment to them, even as trial Justice Binta Nyako allowed them N50 million safeguard each. Prior, Omokore's insight, Mr. Rafiu Lawal Rabana (SAN), fought that the charges were not ready for hearing on the reason that not all the blamed persons recorded in the charge were available in court for arraignment.

He particularly noticed that the counter join office recorded one Kolawole Akanni Aluko, who it said was on the loose, as one of the litigants in the matter. Rabana, who was bolstered by insight to alternate litigants, contended that under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, every one of the respondents should be presented with the charge to empower them to be physically present in court before arraignment could happen.

 Nonetheless, the indicting counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), contended that Aluko could be summoned in absentia, saying "at whatever time we get him, the charges could be corrected." According to him, "Aluko is in Europe.

We couldn't take his announcement, yet they need us to serve him alongside others with the goal that they could make a lacuna. The supplication of those present in court ought to be taken."

However, EFCC legal counselor along these lines connected for Aluko's name to be struck out from the charge, a solicitation that was as needs be allowed by the court EFCC did not likewise restrict the respondents'

Bills Conditions
Bill condition Aside requesting the litigants to store N50 million each, the court said each of them must create a surety, who should either be a senior government employee or must have a landed property.