N1.5bn Fraud: Court Grants Taraba Accountant General Bail

Wole Ayodele in Jalingo
 Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Jalingo, yesterday granted bail to suspended Accountant General of Taraba State, Mr. Joel Joseph Lenbang who is standing trial over alleged N1.5 billion fraud preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes

Commission (EFCC).

Lenbang was arraigned before the Court on Wednesday on an eight count charge bordering fraudulent approvals and withdrawals of Taraba State government funds, payment bank commissions on Transaction (COT) and Valued Added Tax (VAT) between January 2012 and December 2013.

He was also charged with masterminding the approval and withdrawal of Taraba State government  funds under false pretext that the sum was being utilised for various payments on Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the state government within the same period contrary to and punishable under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 respectively.

Delivering his ruling on the bail application filed before the court by counsel to the accused, Mr. Abayomi Akanmode, Justice Okorowo ruled that the court did not have any reason to deny the accused bail based on the submission of the defence counsel.

Justice Okorowo held that the prosecution failed to provide evidence that if granted bail, the accused person may interfere in the trial process or jump bail, saying for making himself available on each invitation by EFCC when he was under administrative bail, the accused has proven that he would make himself available for trail.

The trial Judge equally noted that the offence for which Mr. Lenbang was being tried carried a maximum sentence of not less than 10 years and does not attract capital punishment and therefore bailable; just as he held that the prosecution failed to contradict the statement of the accused that he has never been tried or convicted by ant Court in Nigeria.

The trial judge further stressed that having carefully listened to the arguments and read the written addresses deposed to by the defence and prosecution counsels, he was inclined to resolve the matter in favour of the accused and therefore exercise his discretion in his favour, stressing that the accused person was considered innocent until proven guilty.

He therefore admitted the accused to a bail of N10 million and a surety in like sum who must be a resident of Jalingo with a landed property in the state capital worth the N10 million and who must be identified by the Station Registrar of the Court.

Besides, Justice Okorowo ordered that the international passport of the accused must be deposited with the Court and he must not travel outside the jurisdiction of the Court without notifying the Court just as he ordered the accused and the surety to drop their two passport photographs with the Station Registrar  and adjourned the case to 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th November for trial.

Addressing newsmen after the ruling, Akanmode hailed the ruling as very, very fair and  commended the Judge for delivering an excellent ruling within a very short period. He assured that the bail conditions though stringent, would be met.