Court allows former Governor to travel abroad for treatment

Uche had urged the court to release Ohakim’s international passport to enable him to travel abroad for four weeks for medical treatment.

• Published: 05.24
• Pulse News Agency Local By NAN

EFCC confirms detention of former governors Ohakim, Nyako
(Thenationonlineng)

A prosecution witness, Mr Abu Sule, on Monday told a Federal High Court, Abuja, that was proxy to former Gov. Ikedi Ohakim of Imo to acquire N270 million edifice in Abuja.

Sule gave the evidence at the resumed trial of Ohakim on charges of money laundering and false assets declaration preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The witness, who was been examined by the EFCC lawyer, Festus Keyamo, said Ohakim pressured him to buy the property in his (witness) name after providing the cash.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola adjourned the trial till Jan. 26, 2016 for the defendant’s lawyer, Awa Kalu (SAN), to cross examine the witness on the veracity of his testimonies.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the judge also granted the application of the defendant to travel abroad for medical treatment.

The application was argued by another lawyer on the defendant’s team, Chief Chris Uche (SAN).

Uche had urged the court to release Ohakim’s international passport to enable him to travel abroad for four weeks for medical treatment.

Keyamo did not oppose the application, but said that the defense should produce the defendant at the next date of hearing.

Ademola ordered the release of the passport on the condition that the defendant must, upon his return to Nigeria within 78 hours, return the passport to the court.

The judge also ordered that Ohakim`s surety must sign an undertaking to produce him at the next adjourned date.

He said the surety would be remanded in prison if he failed to produce the defendant, and would be made to take the defendant’s position in the trial.