Former Chairman of the Federal House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Payments, Hon. Farouk Lawan, and Secretary of the committee, Boniface Emenalo, have been granted bail by an Abuja High Court.
Both men have been held in detention since last week, following their prosecution by the Federal Government, for allegedly collecting $620, 000 (about N93m) as bribe from Chairman of Zenon OIl, Mr. Femi Otedola, to strike out his company from the list of indicted companies.
After granting them bail in the sum of N10m each and two sureties each in like sum, the judge, Mudashiru Oniyangi, directed them to submit their international passports with the court registrar, saying they cannot travel outside the country without first securing permission of the court.
This decision to grant bail to the accused, he said, is hinged on the discretionary powers of the court and the failure of the prosecution to file a counter-affidavit to an earlier affidavit filed by the accused persons to list their reasons for requesting bail.
Hearing on the matter has been slated for 10th and 17th April for hearing.
