He was accused of offering a bribe of N150 million and making a part payment of N50 million.
A Lagos businessman, Dr Akintoye Akindele accused of offering a N150 million bribe to personnel of the Nigeria Police Force has been granted N500 million bail by a Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Maitama.
He was accused of offering a bribe of N150 million and making a part payment of N50 million.
Akindele was recently charged for offering N150 million bribe to the police.
However, the police arraigned him on Tuesday on one count bordering on bribery. The suit numbered CR/595/2023, had the Acting Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun as the Plaintiff/Applicant.
According to the police prosecution team, the defendant offered to bribe policemen investigating a case of fund diversion brought against him.
He allegedly offered the bribe so that he could escape abroad.
The charge reads: “That you Akintoye Akindele, male (49 years), MD/CEO of Duport Midstream Company Limited of D2 Mambilla Close Osborne Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos between August 5 and 9 2023 in Abuja, while being investigated by SP Ibrahim Ezekiel Sini and his team on a petition submitted to the Inspector General of Police FIB by Summit Oil International Limited on allegation of diversion of the sum of $5,636,397.01 and N73,543,763.25, you offered gratification of N150,000,000.00 and made part payment of N50,000,000.00 to SP Ibrahim Sini, a public servant in circumstance and to allow you to escape abroad and to write a report in your favour.”
The prosecution said the alleged offence is punishable under Section 118 of the Penal Code Law.
Akindele, however, pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him, after which his lawyer applied for his bail.
Justice Hamza Muazu, in a ruling on Tuesday, rejected the request by the lawyer for the prosecution, Simon Lough (SAN) to further detain the defendant to enable the police to conclude their investigation.
Justice Muazu agreed with the defence lawyer, Henry Eni-Otu that the offence, with which the defendant was charged, is ordinarily bailable.
He granted Akindele bail to the tune of N500 million with two sureties in like sum.
Justice Muazu, who is sitting as the court’s vacation judge, said one of the sureties must own a landed property within the jurisdiction and should be a resident of the Federal Capital Territory.
The judge ordered the defendant to deposit his passport with the court.
Justice Muazu then ordered the return of the case file to the Chief Judge for reassignment.