Lagos-based businessman, Akintoye Akindele, has vehemently denied allegations of offering a N150 million bribe to the police in a bid to evade justice in a fraud case.
The Managing Director of Duport Midstream Company entered a plea of not guilty to the one-count charge at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, on Tuesday.
The charge, brought forth by the Inspector General of Police, represented by counsel Mr. Simon Lough, SAN, alleged that Akindele attempted to offer N150 million to suppress investigations into a petition against him lodged by Summit Oil International Limited.
The charge also stated that Akindele made an initial payment of N50 million to a team of investigators led by Ibrahim Ezekiel Sini from the Federal Investigation Bureau.
In the petition by Summit Oil, Akindele was accused of colluding with others to misappropriate $5,636,397 and an additional N73,543,764 belonging to the company.
Upon the reading of the charges, Akindele pleaded not guilty, prompting the Police counsel to request an adjournment to gather witnesses to substantiate the case against the defendant.
However, Akindele’s defense counsels, Mr. Henry Eni-otu and Mr. Pelumi Olajengbesi from Law Corridor, made a compelling case for the defendant’s release on bail under lenient conditions. The defence highlighted that Akindele had been in police custody for over three weeks concerning the petition.
Eni-Otu invoked Section 158 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, seeking the defendant’s admission to bail and assuring the court that Akindele would fully comply with the bail terms.
In a swift decision, Justice Hamza Muazu granted bail to Akindele, setting the amount at N500 million, with two sureties required to have property ownership within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and verifiable title documents.
As of the latest update, Akindele’s legal team, along with his friends and associates, were in the process of fulfilling the bail conditions for his release. The trial date, however, remains pending.
This case marks another chapter in Nigeria’s ongoing effort to combat corruption and uphold the rule of law, demonstrating the legal system’s commitment to a fair and transparent judicial process.
