By Amos Okioma
Justice E.T Okara of a Bayelsa High Court on Wednesday granted bail to one of the five ‘whistleblowers’, Mr Tamunatonye Jacob, accused of conspiracy to rob Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State.
Jacob was granted bail to the sum of N2 million and a surety, who must be a civil servant of not less than level grade 12.
Okara, who ruled on the bail application based on the medical condition, also received application for the other four suspects.
Esther Engbeke, Tamnatonye Jacob, Wodu Ebikebomu, Emmanuel Dorgu and Sinclair Thursday are being tried for alleged conspiracy to commit armed robbery.
The accused had denied the charge and told the court that they contemplated disclosing a location where Dickson stashed cash to benefit from the whistle blowing policy of the Federal Government.
They have been in prison since their arrest in May 2018.
The five accused persons are facing trial before a Sagbama High Court sitting in Yenagoa, in Charge No. SHC/9C/20188.
The defense counsel P. A. Alfred continued the cross-examination of prosecution witness, Insp. Ekpang Columba, who stated that the Police got a complaint from Special Assistant to Dickson on Domestic Matters.
Columba, also the Investigating Police Officer, had testified on Dec. 12, 2018, during the cross-examination that no weapon was found on the accused when they were arrested.
“The Police got a complaint from the Special Assistant, Domestic to Gov Seriake Dickson that the suspects are targeting the place where the governor stashes cash, that is the subject of the complaints,” Columba said.
Okara adjourned the case to March 28, 2019 for ruling on the pending bail application from the remaining four suspects and defense.