Akingbola seeks court’s nod to travel for medical treatment

Henry Ojelu

The embattled former Managing Director of Intercontinental Bank Plc, Erastus Akingbola, has filed a motion before an Ikeja High Court seeking permission from the court to travel abroad for medical treatment.

Akingboal is standing trial alongside Bayo Dada, General Manager of Tropics Finance Ltd. for allegedly stealing N47.1 billion belonging to Intercontinental Bank (now Access Bank Plc).

In an application filed before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo and dated 19 March,2013, Akingbola through his lawyer Mr Mike Igbokwe (SAN) is seeking the court’s permission to keep a medical appointment fixed for 15 April at Harley Street Hospital in London, United Kingdom.

Igbokwe urged in the application that permitting Akingbola to travel for the treatment would not frustrate the Economic and Financial Commission’s (EFCC) case against the former bank chief.

Igbokwe said:”The application is to enable the first defendant (Akingbola) quickly go for the treatment and come back for his trial.

“Medical appointments are fixed by doctors and this application is not meant to induce the court to exercise its discretion in the first defendant’s favour.”

Akingbola and Dada has also filed two separate applications seeking for the variation of their bail terms.

The defendants in the applications dated 23 March,2013, asked the
court to remove their mandatory report to the EFCC’s office every
Monday, from their bail terms.

EFCC counsel, Mr Godwin Obla (SAN), however, objected to the
applications, stating that he needed more time to file a further
affidavit to some of the issues raised by the defendants.

The judge after hearing Obla’s submission, held that a short
adjournment was necessary in order for the court to decide if it would
grant Akingbola permission to travel for the treatment.

Onigbanjo therefore adjourned the matter to 10 April for hearing of
arguments on the application.