A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has reserved judgement for the bail application on the money laundering suit against Member House of Representative Port Harcourt Federal Constituency 2, Honourable Chinyere Igwe.
Igwe is alleged to have, on February 24, 2023, seen in possession of the sum of four hundred and ninety-eight thousand US Dollars without reporting to the central bank of Nigeria.
During the Court proceeding, the state Principal Prosecuting Counsel applied to take over the prosecution from the Police, which was not opposed by the Defendant’s Counsel but insisted on moving the motion for bail application.
However, the Presiding Judge, Justice Stephen Day-Lop Pam, ruled that the State Principal Prosecutor should take over the case and reserve judgement on the bail application.
Justice Day-Lop Pam adjourned the case to May 4, 2023, to commence hearing on the substantive suit and ordered the Defendant be remanded in Police custody.
In an interview with our Correspondent, Chidi Ekeh, Principal Prosecuting Counsel Attorney general office Rivers State, said the Defence Counsel instituted a motion moving the bail application, and the court agreed with them, adding that the matter today was supposed to have been for bail application.
“We adopted our processes, and the Court has reserved ruling on the bail application”.
On his part, Counsel to the Defendant, Reuben Wanoghor, said they had already filed a motion for the Defendant’s bail, and the motion was adjourned today for hearing.
“However, the state came in to say they have been granted a fiat by the Attorney General of the Federation to take over the prosecution of the case, and so they were allowed to come, and we went ahead to take the motion for bail.
“That bail application has been reserved for a ruling. The ruling on the issue of bail is at the discretion of the court; it is for the court to decide whether to give a bench ruling or a well-considered ruling, and I think the court took the option of delivering a well-considered ruling, of course, he cannot do while sitting down there.
“I am not disappointed that the matter was adjourned; the application has been taken now the matter is between the bottom to take a decision one way or the other.”
