Justice Malqueen Onyetenu of a Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, on Thursday, refused the bail applications of a former bursar of the Osun State College of Education, Ila, Mr. Akin Latilo, and two members of the institution’s Governing Council; Messrs David Olayinka Olojede and Kujeunbola Oluwafemi.
The court ordered their return to prison custody for allegedly diverting the sum of N300 million meant for the construction of an Amphitheatre (Lecture Theatre) and other projects in the institution.
The trio, alongside the Acting Provost of the college, Dr. Basiru Gbadamosi; the Director of Works, Mr. Ogungbemi, and the Osun West Senatorial Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Yinusa Amobi, were arraigned last month by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and were all remanded.
But when the matter came up on Thursday, the school’s provost, Ogunbemi, and Amobi, were granted bail while the bail applications of the other officials were denied and asked to continue their stay in the Ilesa prison custody, where they were previously remanded.
Gbadamosi, Ogungbemi and Amobi were released on bail in the sum of N20million and a surety, who must be a civil servant on grade level 16 each, because their lawyers denied their involvement in the allegation while making their bail applications.
The court, however, ruled that each of the surety must submit his/her International Passport to the court.
The alleged offences were contrary to Section 1(1)(a) &8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act and Section 98,99 and 516 of the Criminal Code Act Cap,Laws of the Federation.
All the defendants are standing trial on an eight-count charge bearing on fraud, stealing and conspiracy.
Their arraignment was as a result of a petition dated March 21, 2016, written by the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State to the Acting Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.
The group alleged that of the sum of N170million first payment released to the Skye Bank, Ring Road, Ibadan branch account number: 1771403093 for the Digitpro Engineering Technology Ltd, Ibadan, as part of the mobilisation fee for the construction of a Lecture Theatre (Amphitheater), a sum of N41,093,694.36 on March 4, 2014, was diverted to the Fidelity Bank Plc Account Number:5600078243 with Cheque Number:00000005 of De Capstone Ltd.