By Raphael Jov
Justice Venchak Gaba of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Kwali has granted bail to the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Galaxy Transportation and Construction Services Ltd, Babagana Abba Dalori.
Dalori was given the bail on the condition that he signs a N5 million bond.
Delivering ruling on the bail application filed by counsel to Dalori, Chief Joe Kyari Gadzama (SAN), on Wednesday, Justice Gaba also ordered the Galaxy Transportation Chief Executive to submit his international passport with the court.
The judge held that the defendant must provide two sureties with N5 million each. One of the sureties according to the judge must be resident in his personal house while the other must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court.
According to him, the essence of bail was to enable the defendant prepare adequately for his defence, adding that an accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
“I have gone through the processes before this court and all the provisions cited therein. When an accused person is arraigned before the court, he is presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
‘’Bail issues are always at the discretion of the court. The essence of bail is to enable the defendant attend to proceedings and to enable him prepare adequately for his defence.
‘’In this light, I have exercised my discretion in granting the defendant bail in the sum of N5million and two sureties in like sum. The defendant is to deposit his international passport in the custody of the court’’, he held.
Earlier, Gadzama SAN, prayed the court to grant the defendant bail on liberal terms since he has never had any criminal record.
‘’The applicant has no criminal record. When the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) invited them, they submitted themselves voluntarily. If the application is granted, they will make themselves available for trial.
“The defendant submitted themselves since March 29, 2019 and have been in incarceration since then. He has never interfered with the investigation and he will never interfere with the investigation’’, he said.
The EFCC, arraigned the 35-year-old Dalori alongside his Galaxy Transport and Construction Company on a one-count charge, bordering on obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira) only from one Abubakar Hajara.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge, prompting the prosecution counsel, Maryam Aminu Ahmed to pray the court to remand the suspect in prison custody, pending the commencement of trial.
The one-count charge reads: “That you, Babagana Abba Dalori and Galaxy Transportation and Construction Services Limited, sometime in 2016 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N10,000,000.00) (Ten Million Naira) from one Abubakar Hajara under the false pretence that the money would be invested in the business of buying and selling of special trip(s) of excavated sand, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
