An Abuja High Court on Friday dismissed an application by a former minister, Amb. Bashir Yuguda, seeking leave to travel abroad for medical checkup.
Yuguda, a former Minister of State for Finance, is standing trial for alleged diversion of N3.3 billion alongside retired Col. Sambo Dasuki, the former National Security Adviser.
Other accused are Dalhatu Investment Limited as well as Shuibu Salisu, Sagir Attahiru and Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa.
Justice Olukayode Adeniyi dismissed the application on the grounds that it was frivolous and did not have the consent of the sureties.
“The court cannot grant such application without the persons that stood as sureties showing evidence of their consent, ” he said.
Adeniyi also said that the defendant failed to depose to any sufficient facts to enable the court grant his application.
“Therefore the application is dismissed,“ he stated.
Earlier, Yuguda’s counsel, Mr Akin Ayodele, had told the court that he had filed an application on July 19 seeking the court’s leave for the applicant to travel to the United Arab Emirates for medical checkup.
He said that the application was supported by an 11-paragraph affidavit attached with documentary exhibits.
Ayodele said that Exhibit F was the most crucial, adding that it indicated that the court once granted a similar order to the applicant to travel and he returned to continue his trial.
“We attached also a further affidavit to show his appointment has been rescheduled by the doctor at UAE,’’ he said.
The prosecuting counsel, Henry Ejiga, however, opposed the application, contending that it was an attempt to further delay the trial.
Ejiga said that two hospitals in Nigeria had already conducted the check up and that the results showed that the applicant was okay.
He urged the court not to grant the application.
(NAN)
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