The Sokoto state high court has granted bail to two Chinese nationals arraigned for allegedly offering bribe to an official of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Abdullahi Lawal, head of EFCC zonal office in Sokoto state, had paraded the two foreigners, Meng Wei Kun and Xu Kuoi of China Zhounghao Nigeria Limited, a construction company, for offering bribe to cover-up an investigation against their company.
Lawal said the duo offered him and his team a bribe of N100 million which was to be paid in two tranches.
In a statement on Friday, Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesperson, said Muhammad Sifawa, the judge, granted the two Chinese a bail in the sum of N5 million each.
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The defendants are to also provide two sureties in like sum, one of whom must be resident in the state.
According to the statement, the surety must also deposit a certificate of occupancy of landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.
“He also ordered the defendants to submit their international passports with the chief registrar of the court and demanded that they take an undertaking that they would not travel out of the country throughout the duration of their trial,” the statement read.
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Lawal had said the Chinese company is currently being investigated by the EFCC over allegations of money laundering, misappropriation, diversion of public funds, among others.
According to the zonal head, the case against the company involves N50 billion worth of contracts awarded to it by the Zamfara state government, between 2012 and 2019.
He said the company received a payment of over N41 billion and allegedly diverted over N16 billion.
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