From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Five officials of Traffic and Indiscipline Management Agency of Abia State (TIMAAS) have been arraigned in an Abia Magistrate Court, sitting in Aba North Magisterial district.
In the suit number MAE/78/2022, Commissioner of Police versus Onwuhara Victor and four others, the officials were charged for engaging in acts occasioning harm, to wit, pushing one Miss Kelly, 17, down from a moving vehicle, on Brass Junction in Aba.
The girl, who sustained serious bodily injuries as a result of the incident, was admitted at the police clinic, Aba, where she received medical attention for one week before being transferred to a local Orthopedic, where she is being treated for bone fracture, as a result of being pushed down from a moving vehicle by TIMAAS officials.
When the charges were read on the first hearing date, the officials pleaded not guilty.
The presiding Magistrate, S. E. Elekeson granted the five accused persons bail in the sum of N2.5 million with one surety, which is the GM of TIMAAS, Bright Chinedum Ikeokwu, who the court ordered to deposit two of his passport photographs.
In granting the bail, Elekeson said he was guided by what the defence counsel told the court, that on or before the next adjourned date, his client, Ikeokwu promised to take care of the expenses incurred by the parents of the victim.
The magistrate warned that bail may be revoked if the said surety failed to fulfill his promise to take care of the said expenses made, so far, by the parents of the first nominal complainant.
However, on the adjourned date, yesterday, for a report of out-of-court settlement, the second nominal complainant, Joyce Egbusinwa, who is the mother of the victim, told the court the matter was not settled out of court. She said she was not approached by the accused persons or their counsel for any out-of-court settlement.
In his ruling, the magistrate frowned at the attitude of the accused persons over the out-of-court settlement agreement and reminded them they were granted bail, in the first place, because of the agreement.
The magistrate gave parties to the matter one week to settle out of court, warning that failure, the court would proceed with the matter properly.
He adjourned the case to July 27, for report of the out-of-court settlement and ordered that the agency’s vehicle impounded by the police remain in their custody, until the next adjourned date.
