BREAKING: Dasuki, four others granted bail

The former national security adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki, currently on trial for alleged money laundering and criminal breach of trust, has been granted bail by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

Dasuki, facing a 19-count charge, is standing trial alongside Shuaibu Salisu,a former director of finance at the office of the NSA (ONSA), Aminu Baba ​Kusa, a former Group General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, and two companies, Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Reference Hospital.

In a 19-count charge preferred against Dasuki, Baba-Kusa and Shuaibu, EFCC accused them of money laundering and criminal breach of trust.

The charge sheet named Acacia Holdings and Referral Hospital as fourth and fifth defendants, who were also represented by the second accused , Baba – Kusa.

Specifically, they were accused of misappropriating about N32 billion between January 13, 2013, and April 17,2015 in violation of Section 315 of the Nigerian Penal Code Act, and Section 17 (b) of the EFCC Act, 2004.

According to the charge sheet read to the accused persons, the sum of N1.45 billion was transferred into the account of Acacia Holdings Limited for special prayers; N170 million was used for the purchase of a four-bedroom duplex; N2.1 billion was paid into the account of DAAR Investment and Holding Company Limited ; N380 million was shared to support re-election of members of the House of Representatives; and another N750 million was paid into the account of Reliance Referral Hospital Limited for special prayers.

Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf granted the accused in the sum of N250 Million on the condition that they produce a surety each who must be a ​serving or retired ​civil servant ​not lower than the rank of a director. The surety must also possess a property worth N250 within the Federal Capital Territory.

The judge also ordered that the accused persons to deposit their ​i​international passports with the ​c​ourt registrar​ and must notify the court of any travel arrangement to places outside the FCT.