A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed the application brought before it by Tony Omenyi, a former Air Vice Marshal of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), seeking for post conviction bail pending appeal.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba had on February 28, 2019 sentenced Omenyi to seven years imprisonment after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), proved its money laundering charges against him.
He was accused of laundering N136 million.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, Omenyi appealed the seven-year conviction and filed application for bail on medical grounds pending the hearing and determination of his appeal before justice Taiwo O. Taiwo on June 10, 2019.
Ruling on the bail application on Wednesday, Justice Taiwo held that the application lacks merit and dismissed it.
Justice Taiwi said: “I do not see how I can exercise my discretion in favour of the applicant on medical grounds. I therefore come to the conclusion that there are no enough materials placed before me on which my discretion can reasonably be exercised in favour of the applicant. The application lacks merit and same is accordingly dismissed.
“I have perused the medical report and I cannot see where the medical doctor recommended special treatment for the applicant that will warrant his being released on medical grounds.
The judge also held that the applicant could not choose his doctor except the sickness requires a specialized medical practitioner that cannot be readily provided by the prison authorities or any government hospital.
Omenyi and his company, Huzee Nigeria Limited, through which he received the money from the contractor, was convicted each on three count charges.
The charges involve the N136m which Omenyi, as the then Managing Director of Aeronautical Engineering and Technical Services Limited, a subsidiary company of Nigerian Air Force, was said to have received from a contractor with NAF.
The sum of N62m recovered from Omenyi by the EFCC was ordered to be forfeited to the Federal Government.
