Babalakin Gets Permission To Travel For Medical

Henry Ojelu

Chairman of Bi-Courtney, Dr. Wale Babalakin was today granted permission by a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja to travel to South Africa for medical treatment.

Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo granted the permission following a request to the court by Babalakin to allow him travel to South Africa to treat his hypertensive health condition.

EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), did not oppose the application but urged the court to ensure that Babalakin should return to Nigeria before 27 March not to stall the trial

Babalakin is facing trial alongside Alex Okoh, Stabilini Visioni Ltd, Bi-Courtney Ltd and Renix Nigeria Ltd for fraudulently transferring N4.7billion on behalf of the convicted former governor of Delta State, James Ibori.

The EFCC alleged that Babalakin and his co-defendants fraudulently assisted Ibori to transfer huge sums of money through various parties to Erin Aviation account in Mauritius for the purchase of a Challenger Jet aircraft.

Delivering ruling today on Babalakin’s application to travel on grounds of ill health, Justice Onigbanjo ordered the EFCC to release his international passport.

Onigbanjo, however instructed that the passport should be returned to the EFCC custody before the next trial date fixed for 27 March, 2013

Earlier efforts to arraign Babalakin on 29 November and 12 December,2012 were stalled after his lawyer Lateef Fagbemi told the court that he was receiving medical attention at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital(LUTH)

While in the hospital, Babalakin filed a suit before a Federal High Court asking the court to restrain the EFCC from arraigning him.

The court however struck out the suit giving way for the EFCC to arraign him.

On his arraignment, Babalakin pleaded not guilty to all the allegation of fraud brought against and was granted bail on self recognition.

At the commencement of the trial on Monday, Babalakin Lawyer requested the court to allow his client seat outside the dock.

He also pleaded with the court to provide a better seat for his client as the seat on the dock is a wooden one.

The court promptly turned down all his request and adjourned to 27 March to allow Babalakin’s lawyer, Lateef Fagbemi harmonise two separate motions he had filed seeking to quash the charges against his client.