A serial fraudster who argued that he should be released from prison pending the appeal of his convictions because of the threat of Covid-19 has been turned down by the courts.
The Court of Appeal for Ontario denied the bail application from Adekunle Johnson Omitiran, who is serving 48 months is prison after being convicted of several offences as part of a “sophisticated credit card fraud scheme.”
According to the court’s decision, Omitiran has several previous fraud convictions and was on probation for similar frauds when he was convicted of the most recent charges.
Additionally, the day after the bail motion was argued, police sought to file more charges against Omitiran, including another count of fraud, possession of property obtained by crime and identity theft. Those allegations have not been proven.
In seeking bail, Omitiran cited, among other things, the risk of Covid-19 infection in prison as a reason for granting bail.
However, the court found that while the pandemic is a factor to be considered in bail hearings, it did not tip the balance in favour of granting bail in this case.
“The central concern in this case is public safety. [Omitiran’s] offences were not violent, but they were serious, complex, and motivated by greed,” the court said, adding that Omitiran, “has a significant record both for disregarding court orders and for committing similar frauds. He was on probation when he committed the offences now under appeal.”
Additionally, the court said, “Many individuals, businesses, and Canada’s financial institutions are currently under increased stress due to the Covid-19 crisis. Given the applicant’s repeat offending and the current economic climate, protecting the public against the fraudulent schemes is an important factor weighing against the applicant’s release.”