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The federal
government yesterday arraigned Bodunde Adeyanju, a former aide of
ex-President, Olusegun Obasanjo, before a Federal High Court in Abuja
for his alleged involvement in the $180 million Halliburton bribery
scam, and he was granted bail.

Arraigning the
accused person, counsel to the federal government, Godwin Obla, in an
amended charge, said that the accused sometime between 2002 and 2003
accepted a cash payment of N140 million from one George Mark.

He told the court
that Bodunde’s alleged illegal collection of the monies ran contrary to
Section 1 and 15 (d) of the Money Laundering Act, 2004 and punishable
under Section 15(2)(b) of the same Act.

Adding that the
accused also within the jurisdiction of the court between 2002 and 2003
accepted another cash payment of the sum of $500, 000 from one Hans
George Christ. Specifically, he said that the accused further violated
Section 1 and 15 of the Money Laundering Act, 2004 and punishable under
Sections 15(2) (b) of the Act.

When the charge was
read to the accused person, he pleaded not guilty to the charges. “Your
Lordship, I do not have any complexities or collected any monies from
anybody as alleged in that charge; I am not guilty,” he said.

And his lawyer, Mr
Akinyemi Aremu, in an oral application, asked the court to grant him
bail, saying that the accused person is a first offender and will not
jump bail if granted. He said the alleged offence is a bail-able one
and if convicted, the accused is liable to two years imprisonment or a
fine of N250,000, or both. The prosecutor, Mr Obla, said he would leave
the issue of bail to the discretion of the court.

No objection

The presiding
judge, Adamu Bello, while ruling on the bail, said, “To me, when a
prosecutor says he leaves the issue of bail to the discretion of the
court, is a modest way of saying he has no objection.” Subsequently, he
granted the accused bail in the sum of N1 million, and one surety in
like sum. The surety must be a responsible citizen of Nigeria who
resides within the jurisdiction of the court, and must sign an
affidavit of means. However, he said the accused person should be
remanded in prison custody if he fails to meet the bail conditions. He
adjourned the matter to December 16 for trial.

The Halliburton
case has been beset by setbacks. When the matter was first mentioned in
August, a Federal High Court judge, David Okorowo, disqualified himself
from hearing the $180 million Halliburton bribery scandal, after the
federal government failed to produce the accused persons in court.

Also, the federal
government recently said it withdrew the charges it filed against
Julius Berger Nigeria Limited. The construction giant was said to be
involved in the $180m Halliburton scam.

But it said it
would file a civil action against Halliburton Corporation in the United
States to seek compensation and restitution within the next 14 days.

The
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed
Adoke, said this at a press briefing in Abuja last month, on the
Halliburton prosecution and other related matters.