Court okays foreign medical trip for Kogi Chief of Staff, Bello

Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, on Monday, granted the request of Kogi State Chief of Staff, Ali Bello, to travel abroad for a medical check-up.

Egwuatu, while delivering the ruling on the motion on notice filed by Bello’s lawyer, Abubakar Aliyu (SAN), ordered the release of Bello’s passport to enable him to travel to the United Kingdom for medical examination and consultation.

He ordered the deputy chief registrar of the court to release Bello’s travelling documents to him.

He said, “An order is made granting leave/permission to the 1st defendant/applicant to travel to the United Kingdom, i.e. London Centre for Advanced Cardiology, 3rd Floor, 19 Horley Street, London, for a series of follow-up cardiologic medical examination and consultation with his medical consultant between July 22 and September 10, 2024.

“An order is made releasing the 1st defendant/applicant’s international passport number B50027568 in the custody of Deputy Chief Registrar of this Court to the applicant to enable him to travel to the United Kingdom i.e, London Centre for Advanced Cardiology, 3rd Floor, 19 Harley, Street London, for series of follow-up cardiologic medical examinations and consultations with his personal medical consultant from July 22, 2024 and September 10, 2024.”

Egwuatu, however, added that Bello is to return the passport to the deputy chief registrar of the court on or before September 15, 2024.

Bello’s lawyer, Aliyu, in the motion marked FHC/ABJ/CR/573/2022, sought an order granting him permission to travel to the UK for a medical checkup.

In the application dated April 2 but filed on April 5, the applicant sought two reliefs and an order from the court to release his passport, which is in the custody of the deputy chief registrar of the court.

Bello said the purpose of the routine cardiologic follow-up was to review his medication and undergo cardiac tests scheduled for July each year and as required based on medical advice.

He said the court had, on two occasions, granted him leave to travel between August 2023 and December 2023. He traveled and returned the international passport to the court’s deputy chief registrar before the expiration of the time granted.

He, therefore, undertook to return the travel passport as he had always done if leave was granted upon his return.

He also promised to be law-abiding in the UK should his application be granted.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, however, opposed the application.

EFCC, in a five-paragraph counter affidavit deposed to by Abubakar Salihu Wara on April 19, 2024, argued that Bello had not filed any medical report before the court showing the health condition that necessitated the medical appointment.

EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), argued that Exhibit ‘A’ attached to the application did not disclose the email address of the sender and the receiver of the said medical appointment and had not exhibited anything to show that Exhibit ‘A’ emanated from London Centre for Advanced Cardiology.

He said Bello might tamper with the evidence in the charges against him if the application is granted.

Bello, in a further affidavit, disagreed with the EFCC’s submission.

Egwuatu, however, asked if Bello had placed enough material before the court to enable the court to grant the application.

He added that it is on record that “this court granted bail to the applicant.

“Since the grant of bail, he has not breached the terms of bail and has been coming to court to stand his trial.

“It is not controversial that this court had granted the applicant similar prayers on two previous occasions.

“Applicant’s depositions that ‘on the two occasions, I returned my International Passport to the Deputy Chief Registrar of this court was not denied by the respondent (EFCC).

“There is no evidence before this court that the applicant breached the terms of the grant or the terms of the bail granted to him.

“The grounds for opposing this application now by the prosecution are anchored on Paragraphs 4 (a) to (g) of the counter affidavit.

“I have examined these paragraphs vis-a-vis the response of the applicant,” he said.