Judiciary
A businessman, Raphael Ifeanyichukwu, was on Tuesday docked in an Upper Area Court, Kubwa, for alleged criminal breach of trust.
The police charged the defendant of Dutse, Abuja, with criminal breach of trust and cheating.
The Prosecution Counsel, John Okpa, told the court that the defendant allegedly deceived the complainant, Mr Joe Inah, into delivering him the sum of N1 million on March 23, 2022.
Okpa said the said sum was given to the defendant to fabricate and install aluminium windows in a site at Karu, Nasarawa State, but failed to do so.
The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty.
The defence counsel, Thaddeus Cletus, made a bail application pursuant to sections 34, 35 and 36(5) of the 1999 constitution, praying the court to grant it in the most liberal terms.
Cletus added that the defendant would not evade his trial or interfere with police investigations.
The prosecution counsel, however, urged the court to apply section 165 (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), which states that the defendant or surety should deposit a certain sum if granted bail.
The judge, Garba Gambo, said granting deposit of a cash sum would defeat the purpose of bail even though the law allowed it.
Gambo, however, granted the defendant N2 million bail with one surety who must be a civil servant from grade level 12, resident within the court’s jurisdiction.
He adjourned the matter until May 30 for hearing. (NAN)
T.S
Tags: Kubwa Raphael Ifeanyichukwu Thaddeus Cletus The Prosecution Counsel Upper Area Court
