Temporary relief has come the way of detained ex-Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, as a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) granted him bail yesterday at N100 million.
Justice Peter Kekemeke granted Umar bail in a ruling in which he overruled the objection raised by prosecuting lawyer Christopher Mshelia to the bail application made by defence lawyer Sunday Edward.
Justice Kekemeke held that the prosecution failed to prove that the defendant would interfere with proceedings or was likely to commit another offence during the pendency of his trial.
The judge ordered the defendant to provide a surety with proof of property ownership in Abuja.
He then adjourned till October 29 for the commencement of the trial.
Umar was, on July 9, arraigned on a four-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The EFCC alleged, among others, that in 2021, Umar used his wife’s bank account to collect N5.5million from a contractor engaged to paint the headquarters building of the CCT in Abuja.
It was also alleged that on January 25, 2024, Umar used his wife’s account to receive N6 million from another contractor, who handled the digitisation of the CCT’s records.
The ex-CCT boss was also accused of directing another contractor to pay N2.43million for the tuition of his daughter at Baze University, Abuja.
Umar pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him, following which Justice Kekemeke ordered that he be remanded in Kuje prison pending the determination of his bail application.
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