The judge had slated the ruling for the afore mentioned date after listening to counsels to the accused persons and that of the EFCC, Mr. Gbolahan Latona, who presented their arguments and counter-arguments on the accused persons' bail applications on Thursday, November 14 2013.
Also standing trial with Mrs. Adeleke are Muili Hakeem Aderemi, Iyabo Giwa, Adesina Jimoh Ayoade, Oguntayo Banji, Adebiyi Musediq Olasunmbo and Muili Adedamola.
Others are Adeduntan The Oyo State High Court will on Tuesday rule on the bail applications filed by counsel to the former state Head of Service, Mrs. Kudirat Adeleke, and 11 other officials of the state.
The trial judge, Justice Bolaji Yusuf had at the last sitting fixed 26th November 2013 for judgement on the bail applications by the accused.
The suspects were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over their alleged involvement in a N5.6 billion pension fraud.
Johnson, Johnson Bosede, Kareem Rasheed, Olujimi Adebayo and Adewale Kehinde.
They were arraigned by the EFCC on Thursday, November 7 on a 213-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretence and forgery.
According to the charge, the accused persons withdrew the sums in bits from accounts belonging to the Oyo State Local Government Staff Pension Board in Fin Bank (now First City Monument Bank), Zenith Bank and Stanbic/IBTC bank between September 2010 and March 2011.
The accounts were opened to effect payment of the pension and gratuities of retired local government workers in the state.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges when read to them at the court. While praying the court to grant bail to his client, Mr. Richard Ogunwole, SAN, lead counsel to Mrs. Adeleke, argued that the embattled former HOS voluntarily surrendered herself to the EFCC after the latter had failed to get her arrested when they stormed her residence in Ibadan at a time she was away in London for medical treatment.
He added that besides Mrs. Adeleke and other accused persons had been granted bail by an Ibadan Magistrate Court, where they had been earlier arraigned. This, according to him, was in addition to an administrative bail they enjoy after spending weeks in the EFCC custody in Lagos.
The senior lawyer said since she and other suspects didn't jump bail, there is no reason for them not to present themselves before the court for proper trial, urging the court to grant the bail not on strict terms.
Apart from a few who wanted bail for their clients on health ground, all the accused persons harped on the fact that the offences for which they were standing trial are bailable and that they never jumped bail when granted in the past. But the EFCC opposed granting bail to the accused persons.
While reacting to content of an affidavit in support of a bail application in favour of the former, Mr. Latona told the court that contrary to the claim by Mr. Ogunwole, that the former HOS was away in London to seek medical attention on an health challenge, the woman was there to carry out an operation to trim down her stomach.
The EFCC lawyer, who addressed all the applications one by one, said the fact that a court of lower jurisdiction had granted them bail was not enough to convince the court to exercise its discretion in their favour.
He also said the commission is opposing the bail to protect the accused persons from been harmed by the aggrieved pensioners, who are affected by the alleged fraud.
Latona equally told the court that apart from the health facilities that are available in prison custody, the state government has promised to provide health care services to the accused persons if in need while the trial goes on.
He also told the court that the offences for which they were arraigned are weighty and could attract as much as 20 years imprisonment if they are found guilty, saying that alone was enough for the court to be cautious in exercising its discretion on granting bail to the accused persons.
