The fresh motion for bail application hearing filed by Counsel to governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Farah Dagogo has been adjourned.
Justice Chiwendu Nworgu, of the Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt,moved the date to hear a fresh motion for bail to 23rd June, 2022.
The case was filed against him by the Rivers State Government on two counts of conspiracy and cultism.
Justice Nworgu gave the adjourned date after the state prosecution counsel, Chidi Ekeh, informed the court that his counter-affidavit to the bail application was yet to be commissioned.
Counsel to Dagogo, Cosmos Enweluzo had in his presentation told the court that the fresh bail application comes after their initial bail application at the Appeal Court failed to scale through because the motion was not determined at the lower court before proceeding to appeal.
Earlier, Justice Nworgu refused to grant an application by the defence counsel to strike out the case for lack of diligent prosecution following the absence of the prosecution witness in court.
The judge, in his ruling, said Section 50 of Evidence Act 2011 cited by the defense counsel cannot stand because the prosecution counsel has perfected the information needed and have never excused themselves from the matter based on the absence of a witness.
Speaking to journalists outside the courtroom, the defense counsel expressed disappointment over the proceedings in court.
On his part, state prosecution counsel expressed confidence that the bail application will be heard on the next adjourned date.
Dagogo, who is also the member representing Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, was arrested on April 22, 2022, in Port Harcourt, the venue of the screening for PDP governorship aspirants in the South-South geopolitical zone.
Rivers state Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, had on April 18, 2022, declared the governorship hopeful wanted for allegedly hiring suspected cultists to attack the PDP state secretariat in Port Harcourt.
