The Abuja Division of the Federal
High Court has granted the former Chairman of DAAR Communications Plc, High
Chief Raymond Dokpesi, bail to the tune of N400milion.
In a ruling this afternoon, trial
Justice Gabriel Kolawole ordered Dokpesi who is facing a six-count criminal
charge, to produce two sureties who must deposit N200m each
The court stressed that one of the
sureties must be a public servant, either serving or retired, not below the
level of a Director, adding that the second surety may be an entrepreneur who
must submit three years tax clearance.
Justice Kolawole held that either of
the two sureties must tender title deeds of a landed property in any part of
Nigeria, the value of which must not be below N200milion.
The sureties, the court said must
depose to an affidavit of means, submit two recent passport photographs to the
Deputy Chief Registrar, DCR, Administration, of he high court.
Dokpesi further directed to surrender
his international passport, “If already in custody of the EFCC, it should be
delivered to the DCR of the Federal High Court in charge of Litigation”.
Meanwhile, Justice Kolawole ordered
that Dokpesi should be remanded in prison custody pending the perfection of the
bail conditions.
It will be recalled that Dokpesi who
is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was arraigned before the
court on December 11, over alleged N2.1billion fraud.
He is facing trial alongside his
firm, DAAR Investment and Holdings Ltd, owners of African Independent
Television, AIT, and Raypower FM.
Specifically, EFCC,
in the charge signed by its Deputy Director, Legal and Prosecution, Mr. Aliyu
Yusuf, alleged that Dokpesi received about N2.1billion from the office of the
National Security Adviser, NSA, for PDP’s presidential media campaign.
According to the charge, the funds were released to the accused persons between October 2014 and March 19, 2015.
According to the charge, the funds were released to the accused persons between October 2014 and March 19, 2015.
The funds were
allegedly transferred from an account the office of NSA operated with the
Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to a FirstBank of Nigeria Plc account owned by
DAAR Investment and Holding Company Limited
The prosecution maintained that the transaction was in breach of section 58 (4) (b) of the Public Procurement Act 2007 and punishable under section 58 (6) and 7 of the same Act, as well as under section 17 (b) of the EFCC Act, 2004.
The prosecution maintained that the transaction was in breach of section 58 (4) (b) of the Public Procurement Act 2007 and punishable under section 58 (6) and 7 of the same Act, as well as under section 17 (b) of the EFCC Act, 2004.
Dokpesi had since pleaded not guilty
to the charge, even as the court slated February 17, 18 and March 2 and 3,
2016, to begin full-blown hearing on the matter.
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