Justice Hussein Yusuf Baba of the FCT, High Court, Maitama, Abuja on Monday, May 21, 2018 granted the application of Esai Dangabar, a former director at the Police Pension Board, to travel overseas for medical checkup.
Dangabar is being prosecuted alongside six others for their complicity in the alleged N24billion fraud in the police pension office by the EFCC.
The others are Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula, Sani Habila Zira, Uzoma Cyril Attang and Christian Madubuke.
Justice Hussein Yusuf Baba granted the application for the accused to travel for medical checkup after listening to the submissions of counsel to the defence, Victoria Olufunmilayo Awomolo, SAN, bearing no objection from the EFCC.
At the resumed sitting, Awomolo informed the court of a pending application dated April 6, 2018 and May 17, 2018 respectively, seeking leave of the court for her client to travel to the United States for medical checkup.
Awomolo said that the affidavit in support of her application signed by Dr. Eric Nnaji of Echo Scan, Abuja had made it clear that the accused needed to be flown abroad for extensive medical checkup. She argued that the position of the law was clear that an accused must be in good health to be able to stand trial.
“My Lord, may I be allowed to add that the first defendant has never missed any hearing of this case since it started in 2012. He has been very sick for the past three weeks, I urge my Lord to grant this request as only a healthy person can stand can stand trial”, she said.
While not objecting to the application, the prosecution counsel, A. O. Atolagbe noted that the defendant was absent on the last trial (March 15, 2018) and expressed concern over his next appearance on the next adjourned date.
Thereafter, trial-within-trial to determine the voluntariness of the second defendant, Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula, commenced.
