A Wuse Zone 6 Magistrate’s Court in the
Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja Friday revoked the bail it
granted an Abuja-based whistleblower, Jeff Ove.
Ove is standing trial for allegedly
giving false information on whistleblowing policy to the Special
Presidential Investigation Panel on Recovery of Public Properties.
Chief Magistrate Ahmed Ndajiwo, who
revoked the bail, in a short ruling on an oral application by the
prosecution, also ordered that Ove be arrested and be brought to court
to face his trial.
The decision to issue the bench warrant
against the Bayelsa State born whistleblower was predicated on his
refusal to appear in court for trial in the four-count criminal charge
brought against him by the presidential panel.
Ove was alleged to have given false
information against a businessman, Mr. Emmanuel Mbaka, to the effect
that the businessman starched huge amount of money in foreign and local
currencies in his house at Gwarinpa Estate in Abuja.
At the resumed trial Friday, Ove, who is the first defendant in the criminal charge, was absent in court without cogent reason.
His counsel, Abubakar Suleiman, in a bid
to pacify Magistrate Ndajiwo, informed the court that his client was
involved in an accident and could not make his trip to Abuja for the
trial.
The counsel further told the court that
the surety to the first defendant was away to Port Harcourt on official
assignment and pleaded with the magistrate to pardon the absence of his
client.
However, counsel to the presidential
committee, Dr Celsius Ukpong, opposed the excuse adduced for the absence
of the whistleblower in court for trial as demanded by law.
Ukpong argued that the defendant
inflicted malady on himself by not coming to court in spite of the
gravity of the charge against him.
He therefore applied to the court to
revoke the bail granted the accused person by the court to enable him
stay in Abuja to face his trial as required by law.
Ukpong also urged the court to order the
surety to the first defendant to appear in court to show cause why he
should not forfeit the bail bond he entered.
In his ruling, Ndajiwo agreed with the
prosecution that there was nothing to show that the 1st defendant was
involved in an accident or taken ill as claimed by his counsel.
The magistrate therefore issued a bench
warrant for the arrest of the defendant and that he should be produced
in court on November 30 for trial.
The court also ordered his surety to
appear in court on the adjourned date to show cause why he should not
forfeit the bail bond he entered for the defendant.
Ove and one Mohammed Sanusi were said to
have on September 27, given false information to the presidential
committee claiming the chairman of Trademore Investment stockpiled arms
and also starched huge amount of public funds in his Abuja residence.
However, the panel later found their claims to be untrue.
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