Judiciary
JUSTICE Olasumbo Goodluck of an FCT High sitting at Maitama, on Wednesday, ordered a surety to produce two Sri Lankans unfailingly on July 15.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Saththiyaraj Kantharasa, Vinith Ukantharasa, and a Nigerian, Anthony Adetokunboh, were arraigned over alleged possession of fake Malaysian passports and making a false statement.
They were arraigned earlier by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on seven counts.
Goodluck fixed the date after their surety Mr. Olarenwaju Olusola prayed the court to allow him more time to produce them.
” The case is adjourned until July 15 for definite hearing, an adjournment was in the instance of the surety who has assured me that unfailingly, he will bring the 1st and 2nd defendants on the next adjourned date.
” In the event that the 1st and 2nd defendants fail to appear in court, the surety must show cause why he will not be kept in custody until he produces them or, pay up the sum ordered as a bail bond,” Goodluck ordered.
Goodluck had on May 13 issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the two Sri Lankans and their surety for their failure to attend the court for their arraignment.
She had ordered that a bench warrant be issued on their surety to show cause why he should not be remanded in prison custody.
The judge also ordered that bench warrant be issued on the first and second suspects.
NAN reports that the trio was scheduled to be arraigned on May 11 but the court did not sit and the matter was rescheduled for May 13 but the two foreigners failed to come to court, then May 27 and June 24.
The third defendant, who had been remanded in the correctional center was in court, but the first and second defendants were absent though, their surety was present.
The Prosecuting Counsel, Aniekan Ekong, urged the court to try them in absentia as contained in section 352 (4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.
“They were arraigned first on March 24, before Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf and were admitted to bail in the sum of N5 million each and a surety.
” They jumped bail, it was on that basis that we approached this court and based on that the court-ordered for bench warrant on their surety.
“It is also based on that that the surety is here in the court, we have taken two adjournments in the instance,” he told the court.
When the judge explained to the surety (Olusola) that the order of the court was that he be remanded in custody until he produced the defendants, he promised to produce them.
“Give me some time, we are working together with ICPC and Police to ensure that those boys are apprehended,” he prayed. (NAN)
– Jun. 24, 2020 @ 15:29 GMT |
Tags: Alleged forgery: Court orders surety to produce 2 Sri Lankans unfailingly on July 15
