Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf of the FCT High Court on Thursday granted bail to Pastor Basil Princewill, charged with alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl. Pastor Princewill is the General Overseer of Mountain Movers Fire Ministries International, Nyanya, Abuja.
Mr. Baba-Yusuf said the prosecutor did not file any counter-affidavit and was not present at the hearing of the application for bail.
“The conclusion I am bound to draw from this is that the prosecutor does not have objection to bail being granted to the accused.
“The attitude of the prosecutor in this case, therefore, is blameworthy and must be condemned in strong term.
“As ministers in the temple of justice, we are accountable to the public in all that we do.
“And so, in the discharge of our duties, it is imperative to give the impression that we are acting in the interest of justice.
“Accordingly, the accused is hereby granted bail in the sum of N500, 000 and one reliable surety in like sum,’’ he said.
He ordered that the surety must be a civil servant resident within the FCT.
The judge adjourned the case to Sept.14 for the arraignment of Pastor Princewill.
The police prosecutor, Oyemisi Abiola, had told the court that on July 2, the Commissioner of Police FCT received a transferred case file with covering letter from National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP).
Mr. Abiola said that on June 22, an information reached NAPTIP that the first accused person, Pastor Princewill and the second accused person, Mr. Odey conspired among themselves.
He further accused Pastor Princewill of having carnal knowledge of two teenagers, a 14-year-old and another 15-year-old, who are members of his church.
Mr. Abiola said that the Apostle did that on pretence that he was carrying out deliverance on them and in the process he impregnated the first victim.
He further said that the first accused Pastor Princewill had several unlawful carnal knowledge with a 14-year- old and another 15-year-old girls both students and also members of his church.
He added that the first accused discovered that, he conspired with second accused person Odey, who took the victim to Fantami Head Medical Centre, Mararaba, Nassarawa, and falsely claimed to be the father of the victim.
The prosecutor said that the girls pregnancy was aborted without her consent and intimidated her that if she disclosed the situation to anybody that she would die.
Furthermore, Mr. Abiola said that before the incident, the first accused person, Pastor Princewill, falsely claimed to his church members including the mothers of the victims to be a lawyer.
According to the prosecutor, the offence contravened sections 97, 179, 397B, and 268 of the penal code.
Follow @wingrassnews
No comments:
Post a Comment