Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia on Monday granted bail in the sum of N500,000 to a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Raymond Omatseye, who was convicted of contract scam.

The judge had, on May 20, 2016, convicted Omatseye of awarding contracts several times above the threshold stipulated by the Bureau of Public Procurement while he was NIMASA DG and sentenced him to five years imprisonment.

Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia had found Omatseye guilty of 24 out of the 27 counts pressed against him by the EFCC and  sentenced him to five years imprisonment without an option of fine.

But three days after the judgment, Omatseye, through his lawyer, Mr. Olusina Sofola (SAN), approached the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, describing the judgment as unreasonable and urged the higher court to overturn it.

He later asked Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia to release him on bail on self recognition pending the hearing and determination of his appeal.

Omatseye’s lawyer, Sofola, had told Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia that his client had raised “substantial and arguable issues” in his notice of appeal, which he believed were capable of making the appellate court to overrule his conviction and sentence.

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