Surety to Pay
Surety to Pay N1mn Weekly if a Chinese Man Refuses to
Return Nigeria
Justice Babatunde Quadri of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on
January 18, 2019 gave stringent conditions for granting Chinese
national, Li Yan Ping’s application to travel out of Nigeria for
medicals.
Ping is standing trial for a $300,000 money laundering charge
leveled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC after intelligence report led to his arrest at the
Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja for failing to declare
the said sum of money in his possession, as he attempted to board a
flight en route Dubai.
He had applied through his counsel, Patrick Ikwueto, in a motion
dated August 20, 2018 seeking for the release of his international
passport, to enable him travel to China for three weeks for medical
check-up.
Prosecuting counsel, G.K. Latona, had argued against the
application noting that it did not have any supporting document,
like a medical request from the hospital in China, “only a referral
on the instruction of the defendant from Nisa Premier
Hospital”.
“It is a cocktail of lies and half truths made to deceive this
honourable court,” he said.
However, at today’s proceeding, Justice Quadri after considering
all the arguments, granted the application of Ping to travel for a
period of three weeks, stressing that “the crux of the matter is
whether the applicant in this case has placed credible proof before
this court in support of the request to travel abroad for medical
treatment as one of the conditions granted the defendant is that
his international passport be deposited in court and during the
course of the trial the international passport has been used as an
exhibit”.
The trial judge further held that: “Sufficient evidence shows
that the defendant needs medical attention, however, these are
minor health conditions despite the referral from the Chinese
National Hospital.
“Having considered all the facts carefully, I must state clearly
that I am not mindful of the fact that these or any other medical
conditions would warrant him to travel abroad in a bid to seek a
preferred medical solution to address the current health challenge
the defendant is currently facing.
“I will take into consideration that the defendant is always in
court at any given court date, he is always on time as well, and
has not defaulted on any of the bail conditions thus far”.
In granting the application, the trial judge ruled that, “the
defendant’s international passport shall be released to him to
travel upon the perfection of bond resident within the jurisdiction
of this honourable court”.
Justice Quadri held that: “ Two members of the defendant’s
family shall stand as sureties and the sureties shall each deposit
their international passport with the deputy registrar of the court
pending the return of the defendant back to Nigeria within a period
of three weeks.
“The sureties are also required as collateral, to present title
land document of a property that is not encumbered alongside a
covering letter for AGIS.
“If the defendant fails to return to Nigeria at the end of three
weeks period granted, the surety shall pay the sum of N1 million
for every week that the defendant defaults”.
Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity
18th January, 2019
Justice Babatunde Quadri of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on
January 18, 2019 gave stringent conditions for granting Chinese
national, Li Yan Ping’s application to travel out of Nigeria for
medicals.
Ping is standing trial for a $300,000 money laundering charge
leveled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC after intelligence report led to his arrest at the
Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja for failing to declare
the said sum of money in his possession, as he attempted to board a
flight en route Dubai.
He had applied through his counsel, Patrick Ikwueto, in a motion
dated August 20, 2018 seeking for the release of his international
passport, to enable him travel to China for three weeks for medical
check-up.
Prosecuting counsel, G.K. Latona, had argued against the
application noting that it did not have any supporting document,
like a medical request from the hospital in China, “only a referral
on the instruction of the defendant from Nisa Premier
Hospital”.
“It is a cocktail of lies and half truths made to deceive this
honourable court,” he said.
However, at today’s proceeding, Justice Quadri after considering
all the arguments, granted the application of Ping to travel for a
period of three weeks, stressing that “the crux of the matter is
whether the applicant in this case has placed credible proof before
this court in support of the request to travel abroad for medical
treatment as one of the conditions granted the defendant is that
his international passport be deposited in court and during the
course of the trial the international passport has been used as an
exhibit”.
The trial judge further held that: “Sufficient evidence shows
that the defendant needs medical attention, however, these are
minor health conditions despite the referral from the Chinese
National Hospital.
“Having considered all the facts carefully, I must state clearly
that I am not mindful of the fact that these or any other medical
conditions would warrant him to travel abroad in a bid to seek a
preferred medical solution to address the current health challenge
the defendant is currently facing.
“I will take into consideration that the defendant is always in
court at any given court date, he is always on time as well, and
has not defaulted on any of the bail conditions thus far”.
In granting the application, the trial judge ruled that, “the
defendant’s international passport shall be released to him to
travel upon the perfection of bond resident within the jurisdiction
of this honourable court”.
Justice Quadri held that: “ Two members of the defendant’s
family shall stand as sureties and the sureties shall each deposit
their international passport with the deputy registrar of the court
pending the return of the defendant back to Nigeria within a period
of three weeks.
“The sureties are also required as collateral, to present title
land document of a property that is not encumbered alongside a
covering letter for AGIS.
“If the defendant fails to return to Nigeria at the end of three
weeks period granted, the surety shall pay the sum of N1 million
for every week that the defendant defaults”.
Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity
18th January, 2019