>
By Emmanuel Adeleke
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday granted bail to All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate and former governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha.
Okorocha was granted bail by Justice Inyang Ekwo in the sum of N500 million and a surety in like sum.
Justice Ekwo gave the order while ruling on the bail application filed by Okorocha who currently represents Imo West Senatorial District in the National Assembly.
The former governor is being tried on 17-count charge bordering on fraud to the tune of N2.9 billion filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The former governor was accused of conspiring with others, including a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and five companies to steal from public coffers, although he has since denied any wrongdoing.
Okorocha was arraigned alongside his co-defendants on Monday by the anti-graft agency before Justice Ekwo.
During their arraignment, the former governor, the second defendant, Nyerere Anyim, and the companies pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Counsel to Okorocha, Mr Okey Amaechi, begged the court to release his client on bail, pending the determination of the case against him.
He drew the attention of the court to the fact that his client was roughly arrested on Tuesday, May 24, just before the screening of the presidential aspirants of the APC, adding that his ambition was at risk should he remain in detention.
EFCC, through its lawyer, Mr Gbolahan Latona, informed the court that Okorocha raised some issues in his bail application that would require its response.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, Justice Ekwo ordered that the surety to be produced by Okorocha must be a responsible citizen who has landed property in like sum.
The judge also directed Okorocha to deposit his international passport with the registry of the court and should not travel outside the jurisdiction of the court without the court’s permission.
He also ordered the court registry to inform the Nigeria Immigration Service that Okorocha’s international passport was in its custody.
Justice Ekwo, however, ordered that the former governor should remain in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) until his bail conditions were perfected.
In his response, counsel to Okorocha, Okey Amaechi, informed the court that his client was ready to meet the bail conditions.
For Anyim, the court ruled that he should continue to enjoy the administrative bail earlier granted to him.
The judge adjourned the matter until November 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 for trial.