Nigeria: Boni Haruna Knows Fate Today

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Leadership (Abuja)

8 August 2008
Posted to the web 8 August 2008

Gowon Emakpe

Former Governor of Adamawa State, Mr Boni Haruna, will know his fate today as a Federal High Court in Abuja would rule on his application for bail.

Haruna and one of his aides, Mohammed Inuwa Bassi, now the Minority Leader of Adamawa State House of Assembly, are standing trial on a 21-count charge over alleged misappropriation of N93.9 million belonging to the state government.

At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, counsel to the accused person, Ricky Tarfa (SAN), brought an application for their bail.

In his application, Tarfa told the court that Haruna was a two-time governor of Adamawa State, while Bassi is the Minority Leader of the state House of Assembly.

He said that the two accused persons were prominent citizens that would not jump bail if granted nor would they interfere with the investigation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Also, he said the accused persons were presumed innocent until proved otherwise and that their fundamental human rights (right to liberty), was guaranteed under sections 35 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution.

Specifically, he urged the court to grant them bail to go for their periodic medical check-ups abroad.

But counsel to the EFCC, Godwin Longs, in an 11-paragraph affidavit, vehemently opposed the application, stating that the accused persons had not placed any material fact before the court to grant them bail.

Submitting further, Longs said the accused persons, if granted bail, would interfere with the prosecution of the case and witnesses, stressing that most of their witnesses were former aides of Haruna.

Justice Adamu Bello adjourned the hearing till today to rule on the application for bail.

It would be recalled that the EFCC arraigned Haruna and Bassi at a Federal High Court in Abuja last Tuesday on a 21-count charge bordering on alleged conspiracy to fraudulently issue cheques to withdraw over N93.9 million.

The EFCC alleged that Haruna and Bassi unlawfully procured cheques, which they used to withdraw money from various accounts, knowing quite well that the said cheques were false, an offence punishable under section 1(2)(a) and 3(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act as amended by the tribunals (Certain Consequential Amendments, etc) Decree No. 62 of 1999.

The commission further alleged that Haruna was operating an account with Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Yola, in the name of Bassi.

Haruna and Bassi pledged not guilty to the charges and were remanded in EFCC custody but would know their fate today.

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