A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that the former Head of Service, Steve Oronsaye, and Osarenkhoe Afe of Frederick Hamilton Global Services Limited, be released from detention.
The court directed that the order be carried out based on an undertaking signed by lawyers representing Mr. Oronsaye and his co-accused, who are expected to produce their clients in court on July 21 when their bail applications will be heard.
He also said his decision to release them was based on the grounds that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had not indicated that the accused persons especially, Mr. Oronsaye, will jump bail.
Mr. Oronsaye was arrested by the EFCC on Wednesday on allegations of corruption.
The judge, Gabriel Kolawole, said hearing on the case will commence on October 29 while the ruling of the bail application was adjourned to July 21.
The former Head of Service however, ran into fresh trouble when new allegations emerged that he was engaged in money laundering.
The commission had granted Mr. Oronsaye administrative bail and ordered him to report for further interrogation Friday.
After hours of rigorous questioning by top officials of the commission, 24-count charges were drawn up against him.
PREMIUM TIMES had in December 15, 2013 exclusively reported how Mr. Oronsaye and other top directors of the Nigerian civil service colluded to allegedly defraud the nation of N6.2 billion pension fund.
The fund, allegedly stolen through a maze of bogus contracts, was meant for biometric enrollment and payment for computer accessories that were never supplied.
Mr. Oronsaye, 64, was appointed the Head of the Nigerian Civil Service in 2009.
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