Synagogue Building Collapse: Judge Grants Contractors Bail

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Synagogue Building Collapse: Judge Grants Contractors Bail

By Correspondent

Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, on Tuesday granted bail to the two engineers who supervised the construction of the collapsed six-storey guest house owned by the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN).In his ruling on the bail application initiated by the contractors through their lawyers, the trial judge granted the duo bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum.According to Justice Lawal-Akapo, one of the sureties must be a civil servant at grade level 14 in the Lagos State civil service. The judge added that the second  surety must provide evidence of tax payment for three years and must also swear to an affidavit of means.Justice Lawal-Akapo also ordered the contractors to submit their travel documents to the Chief Registrar of the Lagos High Court.The judge also directed that the addresses of the sureties must be verified by the Lagos State Head of Service (HoS).Before granting the bail, Justice Lawal-Akapo had earlier made a declaration that he was not unmindful of the presumption on innocence until proven otherwise.The judge had also explained that bail is not to be used to punish an accused person, but to make an accused face his trial.It would be recalled that the Registered Trustees of Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), and the two engineers who supervised the construction of the collapsed six-storey guest house owned by the church and their companies were arraigned before Justice Lawal-Akapo.They were arraigned after the judge threw out the separate applications filed by the defendants through their lawyers who had prayed the court for proceedings to be stayed pending their appeal at the Court of Appeal.Furthermore, the court had ordered that the two engineers, Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun be remanded in Kirikiri Maximum Prison.The Lagos State Government had late last year slammed a 111-count criminal charge against the trustees of the church, the two engineers, and their companies ”“ Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company and Jandy Trust Limited ”“ for their involvement in the September 12, 2014 collapse of a six-storey guest house belonging to the church, which led to the death of 116 persons.The criminal charge against the defendants touches on criminal negligence, manslaughter and failure to obtain a building permit. The matter has been further adjourned until May 19, 2016 for continuation of trial.

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