The Federal Capital Territory high court in Apo, has remanded a former Minister of Power and Steel Development, Olu Agunloye in Kuje correctional center pending the hearing of his bail application.
Justice J.O Onwuegbuzie gave the order following his arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, as the prosecution prayed the court for a trial date and for him to be remanded in a Correctional Centre.
Agunloye was arraigned on seven count charge bordering on fraudulent award of contract and official corruption, and pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges.
Although the defence counsel, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, informed the court that he had filed a bail application for the defendant and prayed the court to grant him bail and commit him to the custody of the EFCC.
One of the count reads: “That you, Olu Agunloye, whilst being the Minister of Power and Steel on or about the 22nd of May, 2003 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court awarded a contract, titled “Construction of 3,960mw Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station on a Build, Operate and Transfer Basis” to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited without any budgetary provision, approval and cash backing and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(4) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
Another count reads: “That you, Olu Agunloye, on or about the 10th of August, 2019 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, corruptly received the sum of Three Million Six Hundred Thousand Naira (N3,600,000.00) through your Guaranty Trust Bank account no.0022530926 from Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL) and Leno Adesanya for having conveyed the “approval of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the construction of the 3,960 megawatts Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station” in favour of SPTCL which you did whilst serving as the Minister of Power and Steel without the approval of the Federal Executive Council contrary to and punishable under Section 8(1)(a) and (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
However, Justice Onwuegbuzie has set Thursday, January 11, for hearing on the bail application.
Editor: Ena Agbanoma
