TheCable

A federal capital territory high court sitting in Maitama has granted bail to Benjamin Dikki, former director-general of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).

Dikki was remanded in prison custody on Monday, after he was arraigned alongside his company, Kebna Studios & Communications Limited, on a four-count charge of allegedly receiving gratification worth about N1 billion from Bestworth Insurance Brokers.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said Bestworth Insurance Brokers had paid Dikki N1 billion for helping to facilitate the approval of outstanding insurance premiums and claims of deceased and incapacitated staff of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

Ruling on a bail application on Wednesday, Yusuf Halilu, the presiding judge, granted bail to the defendant.

“Contrary to the argument of the prosecution that if granted bail, the defendant would not make himself available for trial, there is no material place before the court to justify this,” Halilu said.

He noted that the defendant did not commit a capital offence like treason, which is not bailable and attracts a death penalty.

“If all of these have not placed before me to cast doubt on the reputation of the defendant as it has to do with attending trial, then, this court will have no option than to grant the defendant bail,” the judge held.

“The accused shall provide two sureties who must be reputable Nigerian residents of FCT.

“They must provide evidence of their residence, the title documents of their houses, which must be in Wuse, Garki, Asokoro and Maitama with the registrar of this court.

“The accused person should deposit his travel documents with the registrar and must make an undertaking not to travel out of Nigeria without an order from this court.

“Both sureties should equally make an undertaking to pay back to the coffers of the federal government, the said amount totalling N1 billion, that is N500 million each in the event that the first defendant jumps bail.”