Two journalists who have been remanded in prison custody since December 23 2005, Klem Ofuokwu and Cleopatra Taiwo, have been released on bail.
Judge of a High Court in Port Harcourt, Justice Adolphus Enebeli, who had earlier denied the Rhythm 93.7 F.M staff bail, ordered their release owing to the state government’s readiness to try them summarily.
In his ruling on the bail application on Tuesday, Enebeli said "I am persuaded that the accused be granted bail and they are hereby admitted to bail in the sum of N100, 000 each."
Enebeli pointed out that the argument by the Rivers State Director of Public Prosecution that the accused persons were not entitled to bail was not applicable in the case considering their arraignment in a high court.
He said that since the prosecution had elected to carry on with the trial of the case and given the type of work done by the accused, it was necessary to grant them bail in the interest of justice and society.
The judge contended that the totality of the evidence raised by the DPP to warrant denial of bail to the accused was untenable in the matter and that it was in the overall interest of the law that they be admitted to bail.
The DPP, Mr. Godwins Rufus, had argued that the two staff were not public officers and were, therefore, not entitled to bail to avoid their escape and interference with prosecution in the case.
He ordered the sureties to deposit four passports each with the court and that one of them must be a Level 12 officer with the Rivers State government while the other should be a senior staff of the radio station.
The case has been adjourned to February 1, 2006.
It would be recalled that the Rivers State government had dragged Ofuokwu and Taiwo to court and slammed them with a two-count charge for broadcasting a news item saying that the Choba Bridge in the state had collapsed on December 17, 2005, which was later found to be untrue.
