Ex-minister Agunloye seeks court’s permission to travel abroad
By Jeffrey Agbo
Ex-minister of power and steel, Olu Agunloye, has requested permission from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court to travel abroad for medical treatment.
Mr Agunloye is standing trial on charges stemming from the manner in which he awarded the failed $6 billion hydropower contract, which dates back to May 2003.
The EFCC alleges that he received favour from the beneficiary of the contract. Agunloye denies all seven charges.
Agunloye’s passport was seized by the court as part of a N50 million bail granted him.
On Monday, he urged Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie to release the passport so he could travel abroad on health grounds, promising to return to Nigeria to continue facing his trial after his treatment.
But, the EFCC opposed the application.
EFCC’s Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, summarised in a press statement Monday’s proceeding where parties argued Agunloye’s application for a medical trip.
According to the statement, Agunloye’s lawyer, Adeola Adedipe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said his client needed urgent medical attention abroad.
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However, the specific details, such as the destination of the planned trip and the medical conditions Agunloye intends to treat abroad, were not mentioned in EFCC’s statement.
The defence lawyer presented five documents supporting his client’s overseas medical treatment application.
The documents, marked Exhibits A to E, included medical reports from University College Hospital, Ibadan in Oyo State, and the NISA Premier Hospital, Abuja.
They also included a letter from the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and an invitation from a foreign medical analyst requesting him to travel abroad for an urgent medical evaluation and attention.
The defence counsel maintained that Agunloye required urgent and specialised medical attention, which is unavailable in Nigeria.
But the EFCC advised against releasing Agunloye’s passport to enable him to travel abroad, saying it could impede justice, given the severity of the charges and the potential risk of the defendant absconding.
The judge fixed 17 July for ruling on the former minister’s application.
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