COURT REMANDS EX-SPEAKER BANKOLE OVER N9B CAPITAL PROJECT FRAUD

A 16-count charge was on Tuesday filed against the former Speaker by prosecution counsel, Mr. Festus Keyamo. In the charge, The EFCC accused Bankole and other principal officers of the House now at large of hiking the cost of vehicles, television sets and office equipment purchased by the House in 2008.
Bankole who is being represented by 18 legal practitioners led by Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, however pleaded not guilty to all the 16 count charge. This was followed by an oral application made by the defence counsel for bail. But prosecution counsel, Festus Keyamo, leading two others raised objection to the oral bail application as he prayed the court to allow due process to take its course.
He told the court that the defence has to properly file bail application, which has to be properly argued before the court. He however prayed the court to remand the accused in EFCC custody as investigation into other allegations of fraud against him is still on-going. He also told the court that the uncooperative attitude of the former speaker in the first 24 hours of his arrest delayed his appearance in court.
  In his ruling, Justice Okorowa adjourned the case till 12 noon on Friday, June 10, 2011 for the argument on the bail application.
Count one reads: That you, Dimeji Bankole and others now at large on or about 28th of May, 2008, within the jurisdiction of Federal High court, being body of principal officers of the house of representatives for the approval of contracts in the house of representatives, with intent to defraud, did conspire amongst yourselves to inflate the cost of 400 units of 40-inch Samsung [LNS.341] television sets. By approving the purchase of said items at the rate of N525,000 per unit, instead of prevailing market price of N295,000 and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 58[4][a] of the public procurement Act No. 14 of 2007 and punishable under Section 58[5] of the same Act.