- The federal government has expressed dissatisfaction over Senator Dino Melaye’s bail by a high court in Lokoja, Kogi state
- Melaye was said to have falsely incriminated the chief of staff to Governor Yahaya Bello, Edward Onoja David, in the said assassination attempt
- The court earlier granted the senator a bail in the sum of N10 million
The federal government, on Wednesday, May 16, asked a high court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting at Maitama to officially cancel the bail it granted to Senator Dino Melaye who is representing Kogi west senatorial district.
It was learnt that Melaye was in the charge marked CR/106/18, alleged to had falsely incriminated the chief of staff to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state, Edward Onoja David, in the said assassination attempt on his life.
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Vanguard reports that government made its application made on the absence of the embattled lawmaker in court for the commencement of hearing on a two-count criminal charge the office of the attorney general of the federation preferred against him.
The government lawyer, Labaran Shuaibu, applied for Melaye’s bail to be revoked since he was not in court for his trial.
Shuaibu said: “My lord the defendant was granted bail by this court and the case was adjourned till today for hearing, but he is not present in court.
“The fact is that he was granted bail and he perfected the conditions and was released, whatever he may have done afterwards is not the business of this court.
“In the circumstance my lord, we shall be applying for this court to order the surety to the defendant to come and show cause. Otherwise, we shall be compelled to ask that the bail be revoked. Otherwise, we shall be compelled to ask that the bail be revoked.”
He told the court that FG has lined up four witnesses that will testify against Melaye.
The defence counsel, Ricky Tarfa, SAN, accused FG of concealing the true facts and circumstances of the case to the court.
Tarfa said: “My lord I expected the prosecution to be more forthright by laying the facts bare before this court. “After the last proceeding, the defendant has been charged before different courts. One in Abuja granted him bail, but immediately he was released, he was taken on a stretcher to Lokoja the following day and charged before a Magistrate Court.
“That court refused him bail. However, an application was made before a High Court in Lokoja which took into consideration the facts of the case and ordered that the defendant should be taken into Police custody for proper medical care pending the determination of his bail application. “His bail application before that court was adjourned till today for ruling.”
He noted that the FG’s request for his client’s bail to be revoked would amount to persecution, insisting that such application could only be made when there is no explanation as to whereabouts of the defendant.
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Tarfa said he was ready to produce the high court order that remanded Melaye in police custody. After she had listened to both parties, trial Justice Olasumbo Goodluck agreed with the prosecution that accepting the narration from Melaye’s counsel would amount to receiving evidence from the bar.
Stressing that the administration of criminal justice Act, ACJA, 2015, made provisions on how criminal trials should be conducted in the absence of a defendant, Justice Goodluck subsequently adjourned the case till Thursday.
The court held: “The defence counsel is to take appropriate steps to explain the absence of the defendant.”
Meanwhile, We had reported that the court granted Melaye a bail in the sum of N10 million.
Justice Nasiru Ajanah, who granted Senator Melaye bail based on his health challenge, on Wednesday, May 16, gave a condition that the lawmaker must provide a surety in the like sum.
The high court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi state, ordered that Dino Melaye representing Kogi west senatorial district in the National Assembly be moved to the National Hospital Abuja for further treatment.
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