COURT DENIES EX-IMO DEPUTY GOVERNOR BAIL

The legal battle to release the immediate past Imo Deputy Governor Gerald Irona from prison custody failed again as Justice S. I Opara of the Imo State High Court sitting in Owerri, the state capital, on Wednesday denied him bail.

Irona was denied bail by the Judge after the prosecution argued that his bail application was filed late on Monday.

The prosecutors argued that as of Wednesday morning when the accused was arraigned, the 48 hours allowed by law to enable the prosecutors to respond on points of law subsisted.

The prosecutors said it would be unlawful for the Judge to entertain the bail application when counter bail application had not been filed by the prosecutors.

But one of the counsels to the accused, S. I Imo urged the judge to go ahead to hear the application and grant his client bail, arguing that as a former member of the house of representatives and the immediate past deputy governor of the state, his client was qualified in the eyes of the law to be granted bail.

After listening to the arguments, the Judge denied Irona bail despite the plea by his lawyers to grant him bail on self recognition.

The Judge adjourned the case till March 22, to enable the prosecutors to file their counter bail affidavit.

Irona’s arraignment, which was supposed to be on Tuesday, was stalled after it was announced that his case file had not been transmitted to the court.

The Police in the State had on Thursday arraigned Irona before a magistrate’s court in Owerri on a three count charge bothering on treason.

The Magistrate, C.N Ezerioha, denied Irona bail and ordered that he be remanded in Owerri prison custody after listening to the arguments for and against his bail.