The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted N600 million bail to Dr. Haliru Bello, former national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his son, Abba.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed ordered the duo to pay N300m each, as well as produce two sureties each, in like sum.
Whereas the court maintained that one of the persons to stand surety for Bello must be a Director in the Federal civil Service or any of its agencies, the son was asked to produce someone not below Grade Level 12 to stand surety for him.
Besides, the court ordered that the second surety must be owner of landed property in Abuja the value of which must not be below N300m, adding that the title deed of such property must be verified and surrendered to the court registrar throughout the duration of the trial.
Both sureties are to swear to an affidavit of means, as well as tender their recent passport photographs to the court.
More so, Justice Mohammed ordered the accused persons to surrender their international passports to the court.
Pending the perfection of the bail terms, the court ordered that Abba should be remanded in prison custody but the ex-PDP boss should remain in hospital but placed under police watch.
Justice Mohammed has fixed February 16 to commence full trial of the accused persons.
The accused persons were on Tuesday docked before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
They are facing a four-count criminal charge of N300m fraud.
Equally charged before the court was a private firm, BAM Projects and Properties Limited, which the EFCC said was used to perpetuate the fraud.
The anti-graft agency alleged that the accused persons, through the firm, withdrew N300m from an account the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) operated with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The fund was said to have been transferred to the accused persons, 11 days to the 2015 presidential election, by the embattled former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki, rtd.
However, both Bello who was docked in a wheelchair and his son, pleaded not guilty to the charge dated December 23 but amended on December 30, 2015, even as their lawyers prayed the court to release them on bail.
Specifically, the former PDP boss, through his lawyer, Mr. Abdulaziz Ibrahim, urged the court to grant him bail on self-ecognition.
Bello told the court that he is still recuperating from a spinal cord surgery he had in the United Kingdom. “The 3rd defendant is over 70 years old, an elder statesman who has served this country meritoriously in various capacities. My lord he was not only a former Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but also the former Chairman of one of the biggest political party in Africa.
“We pray this court to grant him bail on self recognition, or in the alternative, grant him bail on the most liberal terms. “He has responsible persons that are ready to stand surety for him”, Bello’s lawyer submitted.
