Thugs suspected to be loyal to former Secretary to Edo State Government, Dr. Simon Imuekheme today attacked journalists who were at the court to cover his bail proceedings. Trouble started when Dr. Imeukheme was brought to court in a Hilux Van belonging to the Nigeria Prison Service and the Channels Television photo reporter Mr. Osatohanmwen positioned his camera to take shots. More than five of the thugs among them aides to Governor Adams Oshiomhole pounced on him and attempted to seize the camera from him. The thugs rough handled Osatohanmwen and stopped him from taking shots. Edo State Correspondent, Osagie Otabor, of Nation newspaper was not spared as his Nokia Lumia 520 mobile phone and Ipad were smashed and the thugs threatened to beat up other journalists that attempted to take shots. The Channels camera man was also walked out of the court room by the clerks following shouts by the thugs that filled the court room. The High Court sitting in Benin had on Friday granted bail to Dr Imuekheme and 3 others who are standing trial on fraud charges. Justice Esther Edigin granted bail to Imuekheme and the threesome for the sum of N3m each along with a surety who has landed property within the Benin jurisdiction of the court. Imuekheme and three others is on trial over misapplication of the sum of N113m State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) funds meant for primary schools rehabilitation in the state. The four accused had pleaded not guilty when they were first arraigned on the March 10 where but denied bail by Justice Edigin who fixed ruling for yesterday. She had denied them bail on the fact that hearing was yet to commence on the bail application filed by counsels to the accused. Because the administrative bail granted the accused by the EFCC has elapsed and the fact that hearing was yet to be heard on the bail application, the four accused will be remanded in Prison custody until March 14 when hearing on the bail application will be heard, Edigin had stated. However yesterday on resumption of the hearing on the bail application, counsel to Dr Simon Imuekheme, Mr Omoruyi Omonuwa had argued that bail for his client was automatic. He stressed that the ICPC act under which the offence was committed is a bailable one. He prayed for the Justice to use her discreption to grant his client bail. Omonuwa went further to say that the counter application to his bail application by the counsel to EFCC does not hold any ground and should therefore not be used as basis for denying his client bail. It is the duty of my client to be present in court during the trial right from when the investigations commenced on the case until the accused was arraigned, he had enjoyed an administrative bail. There is no evidence that he did not present himself while on administrative bail, the counsel said adding, The man will turn up for trial because he is a man of high integrity. The counsels to the three other accused had adopted the bail application of the fourth accused as presented by his counsel, Omonuwa, upon which counsel to EFCC, Mr Larry Aso had prayed the court to deny them the bail application. Aso argued that granting the accused bail would mean granting them permission to jump bail, Because they are powerful people they have the capacity of traveling out of the country at anytime. He said, They are also capable of tampering with the prosecuting witnesses whom have been their subordinate while in office. He however called for an accelerated trial on the matter. The three other accused are, the immediate past chairman of the SUBEB, Mr Joseph Emoabino, Secretary of the board, Mr David Igbinoba and Director of finance and accounting, Mr Aghator Efe. Justice Edigin adjourned the case to June 23 for the commencement of the trial proper case.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 16:06:08 +0000
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