A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday
granted bail to former Governor of Adamawa State, Adamu Umaru Fintiri,
who was arraigned on Thursday on a five-count of money laundering.
Fintiri was arraigned with his company –
Mayim Construction and Properties Limited – and accused of diverting
about N2.9billion belonging to the state.
In a ruling yesterday, Justice Ahmed
Mohammed admitted Fintiri to bail on the ground that, having earlier
been granted administrative bail by the complainant – the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) – since June 15, 2016, with no
complaint of him defaulting, there was no need for the court to refuse
him such opportunity.
“The court has not seen any reason not
to admit the first defendant (Fintiri) to bail pending determination of
the case, and so, the defendant is hereby admitted to bail in the sum of
N500million with two sureties in like sum, who must have landed
properties within Abuja.
“The title documents of the properties
are to be submitted with the court registrar along with the
international passport of the defendant. The first defendant is not to
travel out of the country pending the determination of the case
“The two sureties are to submit two
recent passport photographs. The defendant is to remain in prison
custody pending satisfaction of bail conditions”, Justice Mohammed said.
Shortly after the ruling, prosecution
lawyer, Aso Larrys Peters, informed the court that Fintiri has two
international passports and had only submitted one to the EFCC, while
making arrangements to travel with the other.
Fintiri’s lawyer, Maxwell Gidado (SAN) denied the claim, saying, “it is a crime in Nigeria to own two passports.”
Justice Mohammed acknowledged the possibility of the defendant having both an “ordinary” and a “diplomatic” passport.
The judge subsequently directed that the
passport in the EFCC should be brought to the court, while the
defendant would sign an undertaking, barring him from international
travel pending the determination of the case.
Thereafter, the matter was adjourned till October 6, 2016 for the commencement of the trial. THE GUARDIAN
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