Appeal Court grants Ajudua bail

The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, yesterday granted bail to Fred Ajudua who is standing trial before a Lagos High Court for allegedly defrauding a Germany-based company of $1m 25 years ago.

Ajudua was previously charged before Justice Josephine Oyefeso of an Ikeja High Court before the case was re-filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and reassigned to Justice Mojisola Dada.

The EFCC had alleged that Ajudua conspired with one Joseph Ochunor who is still at large to obtain money by false pretences from Ziad Abu Zalaf of Technical International Ltd., a division of Mystic Company Ltd., a German-based company, he told the court.

The commission also alleged that with intent to defraud, Ajudua and Ochunor obtained $268,000 on April 2, 1993 from Zalaf and on May 12, 1993 obtained the sum of $225,000 from Mr Zalaf.

The commission further claimed that Ajudua and Ochunor, in a bid to give credence to the alleged scam, forged a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) receipt and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and presented it to the foreigner as genuine.

On July 6, 2018, Justice Dada turned down Ajudua’s bail application which was premised on his failing health.

Justice Dada held that Ajudua has had sufficient time to treat himself but failed to do so.

Ruling on the appeal yesterday, Justice Garba upturned the decision of Justice Dada stating that bail is a constitutional right which the defendant ought to enjoy.

Justice Garba ordered that Ajudua continue on the terms of the previous bail granted him by Justice Oyefeso.