Nigeria: N6.5 Billion Aviation Scam - Borishade, Iyayi, Others Get Bail

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Leadership (Abuja)

11 October 2008
Posted to the web 11 October 2008

George Agba

Respite came the way of the embattled former aviation minister, Professor Babalola Borishade, and three others yesterday as an Abuja high court released them on bail.

The three are the former managing director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Roland Iyayi; a former personal aide to Borishade, T.A Dairo; and head of operations of Avsatel Communications in Nigeria, George Eider.

The trial judge, Justice Abubakar Sadiq Umar, okayed their bail bid in the sum of N10 million each and two sureties, who must be resident in the Federal Capital Territory, in like sum. He also directed that the accused persons should deposit their international passports with the court's registrar, just as he warned them not to travel outside the jurisdiction of the court without its consent.

The judge further directed the accused to report at the EFCC's office nearest to them every fortnight.

The EFCC charged them to court for alleged forgery and bribery in the handling of the Safe Tower Project worth over N6.5 billion.

While ruling on their bail application, Justice Umar held that "the right to bail is constitutional and it is to ensure the presence of the accused in court during trial. The availability of the accused in court during trial is very important and the accused were charged jointly. The accused are people of high calibre and they have been enjoying bail before their arraignment. The bail is hereby granted".

He consequently adjourned the matter to November 10, 11 and 12 for hearing on the substantive trial.

Borishade was charged as the first accused person and was said to have received gratification worth Euro, 15,000.00 from Eider (the 4th accused person) in the form of hotel accommodation and souvenirs, on account of favour shown to Avsatel Communications Limited while awarding the contract for the Safe Tower Project.

Iyayi, Dairo and Eider were also charged with forgery. They were accused of forging a document entitled "Urgent Need To Replace the Obsolete Equipment in the Control Towers of the Nation's Designated International Airports in Preparation for the ICAO Audit Scheduled for September 2006", which was dated October 25, 2005.

Count 1 of the charge states: "That you Professor Borishade being a former Aviation Minister, Roland Iyayi being a former Technical Adviser to Borishade, T.A. Dairo being a former personal assistant to the said Borishade and George Eider on or about the 25th October 2006 in Abuja did agree among yourselves to do an illegal act: to wit, forgery and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 97 (1) of the Penal Code Act Cap. 532 Laws of the Federation."

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