A federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, has refused to grant bail to a former Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) lecturer, Prof. Richard Akindele.
Akindele was charged before the court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) for demanding sex to pass a student, Monica Osagie, by upgrading her academic result from fail to pass and alteration of age.He was arraigned on a four-count charge on November 19 by the anti-corruption agency. The commission stated that his offence contravened section 8(1)(a)(ii), and 18 (d) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and punishable under same sections.
The trial judge, Justice Maureen Onyetenu, while delivering ruling after listening to the argument of the counsels on both sides, ordered the lecturer to be remanded in Ilesa prison custody until December 17, 2018.The judge also ordered the prosecution counsel, Kehinde Adetoye, to produce video evidence of the lecturer and his student “having fun”.
The prosecution counsel, Adetoye, had prayed the court to deny the defendant bail on grounds that he will not appear for his trial when released. He argued that the defendant had refused to appear in their office in Abuja after an undertaken that he would honour any invitation extended to him particularly since his return from abroad after a medical trip.However, counsel to the suspect, Mr. Francis Omotosho, prayed the court to grant his client bail pending the final determination of the case.
Part of the charge read: “That you, Professor Akindele on or about the 16th day of September, 2017, at Ile-Ife did corruptly ask for sexual benefit for yourself from Ms Monica Osagie on account of favour to be afterwards shown to her by you in the discharge of your official duty as a lecturer in Management and Accounting Department, Obafemi Awolowo university, to wit; altering her academic grades in the course with code MBA 632- Research Method from fail to pass; and thereby committed an offence punishable under Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
The lecturer, a 57-year-old professor, admitted guilt and plea-bargaining. He was said to have approached the commission through his counsel that he may not be fit to stand the rigours of prison life due to his ill-health.
-GUARDIAN-
