TVC E, NEWS – A Federal High Court sitting in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja has granted bail to a former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal, Alex Badeh (retd), in the sum of N2bn.
In his ruling, Justice James Tsoho, granted bail to Badeh, after dismissing the objection of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to it, saying “The principle of presumption of innocence operates in favour of the accused person,” the judge ruled.
Justice Abang had on March 7 ordered that Badeh be remanded in prison shortly after the EFCC arraigned the former military chief and a company, Iyalikam Nigeria Limited, on 10 counts of money laundering.
The charges involve alleged criminal breach of trust and corruption relating to diversion of about N3.97bn which Badeh and the company were said to have fraudulently removed from the accounts of the Nigerian Air Force between January and December 2013.
The judge had on March 7 fixed Thursday for hearing of the bail application.
But among other bail conditions imposed on Badeh on Thursday, the judge ordered the ex-CDS to deposit both his blue and green passports with the court throughout the period of his trial.
His proposed sureties must also have landed assets in any part of Abuja and that the certificates of occupancy of the respective property must be submitted to the court.
The judge directed that the Chief Registrar of the court to verify in writing the value of the assets from the relevant department of the Federal Capital Territory Development Administration and the genuineness of their certificates of occupancy
