Synagogue Tragedy: Court Returns 2 Engineers To Prison -As It Adjourns Ruling on Bail Application
The hope of two engineers who supervised the construction of a collapsed Guest House belonging to the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), which claimed about 120 lives, many of whom were foreigners, was dashed on Tuesday, as they were sent back to Kirikiri Maximum Prison, due to the inability of an Ikeja High Court of Lagos State to deliver rulings on their bail applications.
The order for their return back to prison followed the decision of Justice Lateef Lawal- Akapo to adjourn rulings on their bail applications till May 3, 2016.
The engineers, Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun, were last week remanded in prison pending the hearing of their applications for bail which held today.
In her application dated April 19, 2016 brought pursuant to Section 115 of Section 2 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, counsel to Fatiregun, Titi Akinlawon (SAN) argued that the ‘ offences committed by the defendant is a bailable offences.’
“He has been charged before for the same offences at the magistrate court and did not jump bail. So if granted bail now, he will also not jump bail,” she argued.
Counsel to Ogundeji, Olalekan Ojo also informed the court that ‘granting him bail will put his client in best position to prepare for his trial’.
However, the prosecution counsel and Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Idowu Alakija urged the court not to grant the defendants bail.
She argued that while the court has the discretion to grant bail or not, ‘the fourth defendant (Ogundeji) does not have an address within the jurisdiction of the court and therefore may jump bail if granted.’
The court therefore adjourned ruling till May 3 while the defendants returned to prison.
The two engineers had pleaded not guilty to the 111-count charge of gross negligence and criminal manslaughter brought against them by the state.
According to Alakija, the two defendants committed the offences between August 20 and September 1, 2013.
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