By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA – Respite came the way of the embattled former minister of works, Dr. Hassan Lawal, Tuesday, as he was granted bail by a Federal High Court in Abuja, after he had spent 35 days at the Kuje maximum prison.

The High Court had on May 11, ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to remand him in prison custody, sequel to his alleged complicity in two separate criminal charges bothering on money laundering, conspiracy and illegal diversion of public funds through fictitious contracts.

Whereas the anti-graft agency through an initial 29-count criminal charge it preferred against the former minister, maintained that he connived with eight persons to launder over N75.5 billion through six corporate entities whilst he was in office, the commission further charged him and one Adesanya Adewole, on a separate 9-count criminal charge bothering on alleged N45billion scam.

Following blatant refusal by the previous trial judge that presided over the case, Justice Aliyu Bilkisu, to accede to several bail applications that were tendered before her by counsels to all the accused persons, the ex-minister, alongside his alleged accomplices, petitioned the Chief Judge of the High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, who promptly re-assigned the case-file to another judge for continuation of their trial.

Consequently, the anti-graft agency,  Monday,  re-arraigned all the accused persons before the new trial judge, Justice Adamu Bello, who  granted them bail in the sum of N50 million each, adding that they should individually produce a surety who must also deposit N50 million as bond before the High Court.

Besides, Justice Bello insisted that their surety should not only be resident in Abuja, but equally own a landed property not less than the amount upon which they were allowed on bail.
They were asked to surrender the title deed of the properties they intend to rely on, to the court registrar for authentication, as well as to submit all their travelling documents to the court.

Justice Bello, who maintained that the issue of bail was discretionary, said he had decided to exercise his discretion in favour of the accused persons.

According to the judge, “the offences for which the accused persons were charged before this court is not only ordinarily bailable, each of the offence upon conviction will only attract punishment not greater than two years imprisonment”.

He however warned all the accused persons to refrain from travelling outside the country in any way, just as he gave EFCC the nod to take them to Kuje prison should they fail to fulfill  any of the bail conditions.