Dokpesi loses bail, as court adjourns ruling

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered that the founder of DAAR communication Plc, Raymond Dokpesi be remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions (EFCC) till December 14 when ruling on his application for bail will be delivered.

Justice Gabriel Kolawale who heard the motion for his bail said that the ruling could not be immediately delivered because the process filed by the Federal Government and Dokpesi’s lawyer were delivered to him in the open court.

Thejudge said that he needed time to study the argument canvassed for and against in the bail application so as to arrive at a just conclusion in his ruling.

He subsequently ordered that the media guru be moved to the EFCC custody and must be produced on Monday by EFCC when the ruling in his bail application will be decided one way or the other.

Earlier while arguing the bail application, Mike Ozekhome SAN told Justice Kolawale that the offence with which Dokpesi is standing trial was ordinarily bailable by law because it was not a capital offence.

He said that Dokpesi has not in any way contributed to any act of insurgency and that he would not jump bail when granted.

Ozekhome  also told the court that his client was billed to travel abroad for medical checkup when a telephone call came in inviting him orally to come to EFCC and that without any hesitation, Dokpesi responded and honoured the invitation as a law abiding citizen.

Beside, Ozekhome also told the court that Dokpesi’s son was about to wed on 17 and 19 of this month and that as a father he has dispatched invitations to highly placed Nigerians and as such he would be around at all times to stand trial.

Similarly, the counsel also submitted that Section 36 of the 1999 constitution presumed his client innocent until the contrary has been proved by theprosecution.

However, opposing the bail application, Rotimi Jacobs SAN who is prosecuting Dokepsi urged the court to reject the application on the ground that the  Federal government is investigating a fresh allegations of N8.4billion he collected for airing  the FIFA  U17 championship which Nigeria hosted in January 27, 2012.

Jacob further told the court that the airing right was giving to DAAR communication by FIFA and the Federal government was not a party to the contract where he allegedly collected N8billion from the Nigerian Government.

He added that if bail is given, it will prejudice investigation of the allegation and urged the court to take a judicial look at the affidavitevidence of the Federal government which indicated that no contract paper was exchanged by Dokpesi and any agent of government when the N2.1billion was paid to him.

On the health condition, Jacob told Justice Kolawale that Dokpesi failed to disclose the nature of his illness adding that the letter of appointment with the physicians exhibited by Dokpesi was sent on December 5 when Dokpesi was already in the custody of the EFCC including the British airways ticket.

The prosecution counsel said that it would be dangerous to admit Dokpesi on bail because under the charged, he risked a jail term of 7 years upon conviction and as such may decide to flee the country if allowed to go on bail.

The ruling will be delivered on Monday.