A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday ordered that businessman and former Chairman of Daar Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, be returned to the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission after hearing his bail application.
Dokpesi was on Wednesday arraigned along with his firm, Daar Investment and Holdings Ltd, on six counts of money laundering and procurement fraud instituted against him by the EFCC.
He pleaded not guilty to all the six counts.
Justice Gabriel Kolawole, had after the arraignment on Wednesday, ordered that Dokpesi be remanded in EFCC custody and be produced in court on Thursday for the hearing of his bail application.
But after the hearing on Today(Thursday) , the judge said he needed time to study the arguments canvassed by parties for and against the bail application before he could deliver his ruling.
He then fixed Monday for the ruling and ordered that the defendant be returned to EFCC custody.
On Wednesday, defence counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), had said his client had been in EFCC custody for eight days.
A large number of women and youth besieged the Federal High Court, Abuja in solidarity with Dokpesi on Thursday.
The placard-bearing supporters were not allowed entry into the court premises but remained outside the gate throughout the court proceedings.
The judge had adjourned hearing of the bail application till Thursday, after EFCC counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), indicated that he needed to file a counter-affidavit opposing it.
Ozekhome urged Justice Kolawole to grant bail to his client.
The bail application was opposed by the prosecution.
Justice Kolawole however said he needed time to consider the the arguments and would only be able to deliver ruling on it on Monday.
The EFCC had accused Dokpesi and his firm receiving, N2.1bn from the office of the National Security Adviser between October 2014 and March 19, 2015 for the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential media campaign in breach of provisions of the Public Procurement Act, Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and the EFCC (Establishment) Act.
