A High Court of the Federal High Court (FCT) in Apo has ordered the remand of former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye in Kuje prison, Abuja following his arraignment before the court on Wednesday, January 10.
Agunloye was arraigned on a seven-count charge in which he was among others accused of accepting bribes, engaging in forgery, disobedience to a presidential directive, and conspiracy.
The ex-minister, who is the sole defendant in the charge marked: CR/617/2023 was said to have conspired with Leno Adesanya (now at large) of Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL) in allegedly committing the said offences.
The defendant was accused of receiving a bribe totalling about N5.2million (N5,221,000.00) from Adesanya and SPTCL about the award of the contract for the construction of 3960 megawatts Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station in favour of SPTCL while in office in 2003.
He pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him, following which the prosecuting lawyer, Abba Mohammad of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) applied that the defendant be remanded I’m custody pending the commencement of trial.
Defence lawyer, Adeola Adedipe (SAN) told the court that a bail application had been filed for the defendant.
Given the information from Adedipe, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie adjourned till Thursday for the hearing of the bail application, but ordered that the defendant be remanded in Kuje prison until the determination of his bail application.
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