$9.8m FRAUD: Ex-NNPC GMD Yakubu gets permission to travel for medical treatment

The Federal High Court, Abuja on Monday, granted Andrew Yakubu, former Group Managing Director, (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC) permission to travel abroad for medical treatment.

Yakubu, who is charged with six counts bordering on money laundering, filed an application seeking leave of the court to travel to the UK for a routine medical check up.

He further told the court that he had already booked an appointment with his doctor and that the estimated time he would be away would be three weeks.

He prayed the court to grant the application to enable him attend to his health so that he would be fit enough to stand trial.

The prosecuting agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) had opposed the application saying Yakubu’s submission that if not allowed to travel for medical treatment, he would not be able to face his trial was a subtle attempt to blackmail the court.

The presiding Judge Justice Ahmed Mohammed noted that the prosecution had not opposed the previous applications to travel and cannot now describe same as an abuse of the bail system.

The judge also held that the defendant had consistently maintained that he needed medical treatment.

He added that Yakubu’s passport be released to him on the personal guarantee of the sureties who signed his bail bond. Yakubu is facing a six-count charge involving failure to declare assets and money laundering.

When EFCC closed its case after calling seven witness, Yakubu, rather than open his defence, filed a no-case submission claiming he had no case to answer. The court fixed May 16 to rule on the no-case submission.

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