By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted Mrs Chioma Okoli bail for the sum of N5 million with two sureties in like sum in a case bordering on her online commentary on Erisco Foods Limited’s tomato paste.
Mrs Okoli is being charged over her online commentary on Erisco Foods Limited’s tomato paste which the police alleged violated the Cybercrime Act, 2015, which was earlier this year amended.
She was arraigned before Justice Peter Lifu by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) on a two-count charge bordering on cybercrime. She pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
While admitting her to bail, Justice Lifu said that one of the sureties must be the defendant’s spouse or blood relative with a variable source of income and also residing within the jurisdiction of the court.
The judge ordered the sureties to deposit a passport photograph each and directed the defendant to also deposit her international passport if any.
Justice Lifu agreed with the arguments of her lawyer that the offence with which Mrs Okoli was charged was a bailable one.
Justice Lifu further held that under Section 36 (5) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The judge added that denying her bail is a wrong application of discretion which will amount to a pre-trial judgment and judicial rascality.
He equally based the ruling on the health status of Okoli, adjourning the matter until June 13 for further hearing.
Recall that Mrs Okoli, who was pregnant at the moment that the trial began, reportedly suffered a miscarriage.
The counsel to the accused, Mr Inibehe Effiong, disclosed this on his X handle on Wednesday.
“I can confirm that Chioma Okoli suffered a miscarriage and lost her pregnancy. I made this disclosure to the Honourable Court during yesterday’s proceedings and it was reported by pressmen who were in the court,” he wrote.
Modupe Gbadeyanka