A mobile Court sitting in Onitsha has discharged and acquitted one Mr. Ogbonna Sunday and granted eleven others bail for allegedly engaging in touting on the sixteenth January 2020.
They were arraigned before the mobile court at terminal A Park, Upper Iweka Onitsha by Anambra State Government.
The accused were charged for issuance of fake and illegal tickets, illegal loading and offloading at wrong points among others.
The arraignment followed moves by Anambra state Ministry of Transport in collaboration with FIAT, a Non-Governmental organization saddled with the responsibility of ridding the state of all kinds of touting activities.
The suspects, apprehended at various locations while selling tickets, loading and offloading pleaded not guilty but were granted bail to the tune of fifty thousand naira each, a surety each with
identity card, affidavit on source livelihood and two passport photographs.
While discharging Mr. Ogbonna, the Magistrate, who presided over the case frowned at the reoccurring rate of touting especially in Onitsha metropolis and said that the discharged person having admitted the crime showed remorse as well as saving the court the rigorous process of determining him guilty or not.
Responding, Mr. Ogbonna, who pleaded guilty, appreciated the court for discharging him from his crime and promising to turn a new live.
In his reaction, the Anambra state Commissioner for Transport Dr.
Christian Mmadubuko expressed satisfaction with the court processes and assured that the Ministry will not relent in ensuring that the state is free of touting.
The Magistrate later adjourned the case to Tuesday January twenty-eight and Tuesday fourth February 2020 respectively for further hearing.
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