By Vivian Okejeme Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory High Court, Gwarimpa, has ordered that the former Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Nwabueze Ngige be kept at Kuje prison till December 18, when his bail application will be decided.
Justice Maryam Hassan issued the order on Monday shortly after taking arguments for and against the bail request of the former governor of Anambra state.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, is prosecuting Ngige on an 8-count charge of corrupt practices.
Arguing the bail application, counsel to Ngige, Patrick Ikwueto SAN, pleaded with the Judge to admit the former Minister to bail on health ground and other reasons.
He submitted that the former Minister would not jump bail or interfere with witnesses if admitted to bail.
Opposing the plea, the anti-graft agency, had through it’s counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, insisted that Ngige was a flight risk.
Tahir noted that the defendant was granted administrative bail by EFCC and allowed to travel abroad for medical care but never reported back to EFCC.
Besides, he said that the international passport released to him to facilitate the abroad trip was never returned till today.
He submitted that it was when Ngige was re-arrested that he came up with a purported claims that he lost his passport.
Insisting that the claims of passport loss was an afterthought and should not be believed by the Court, Tahir urged the court to dismiss the bail request for being frivolous.
Meanwhile, the matter was adjourned till December 18, to deliver ruling in the bail application.
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