[ad_1]
The Kogi State Excessive Court docket in Lokoja, on Friday, ordered the chairperson of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, to seem earlier than it on 13 Could to point out why he shouldn’t be jailed for allegedly disobeying its order.
The decide, I.A. Jamil, gave the order in a ruling in a swimsuit marked, HCL/68M/2024, introduced earlier than him by former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
Mr Bello’s utility initiating a contempt cost towards the EFCC chair is a part of his determined efforts to cease his arraignment and trial on N80 billion cash laundering fees instituted towards him after he left workplace as governor in January.
In his utility, Mr Bello accused Mr Olukoyede of committing an act of contempt by allegedly violating the court docket’s order which, he had stated, barred the EFCC from arresting him.
EFCC not too long ago charged Mr Bello on the Federal Excessive Court docket in Abuja with cash laundering involving over N80 billion .
However the anti-graft company has not been capable of arraign him on account of his absence from court docket.
Mr Bello managed to evade arrest on 17 February when operatives of the fee tried to execute an arrest warrant towards him at his residence in Abuja.
“The stated act was carried out by the Respondent (EFCC) in violation of the order, which was legitimate and subsisting after they carried out the act.
“That very same act of the respondent quantities to contempt,” the decide stated in his ruling in thr contempt proceedings on Friday.
The Information Company of Nigeria (NAN) stories that the EFCC boss is dealing with a contempt cost for allegedly finishing up “some acts upon which they (the EFCC) have been restrained” by the court docket on 9 February pending the dedication of the substantive originating movement.
The court docket order was primarily based on a movement ex-parte filed by Mr Bello by means of his lawyer, M.S. Yusuf.
Mr Bello prayed the court docket for an order to difficulty and serve the respondent (EFCC C
chairman) with Type 49 Discover to point out trigger why Order of Committal shouldn’t be made on Mr Olukoyede.
“After listening to the arguments of the applicant’s counsel, the submission and reveals hooked up within the written tackle, granted Bello’s prayers and ordered Olukoyede to be summoned to seem earlier than the court docket to reply the contempt cost.
“The applicant’s utility earlier than me is to the impact that the respondent has carried out some acts upon which they’ve been restrained by this court docket on Feb. 9, pending the dedication of the substantive movement on discover earlier than this court docket.
“That the stated act was carried out by the respondent in violation of the order which was legitimate and subsisting after they carried out these acts. That very same act of the respondent quantities to behave of contempt.
“It’s towards the above details that this Court docket hereby grants the prayers sought in keeping with the precept of ‘Audi Extremely Patem’ (hearken to the opposite aspect).
“This matter is adjourned to 13 Could for the respondent’s chairman to seem earlier than this court docket in reply to kind 49 ordered to be served on him,” reads an enrolled order of the court docket seen by NAN.
Stalled arraignment
Mr Bello has failed to seem in court docket for his arraignment on the pending N80 billion cash laundering fees two events – 18 and 23 April.
The court docket, on the 23 April proceedings, the court docket issued an order of substituted service, allowing the EFCC to serve the defendant by means of his lawyer.
EFCC has denied violating any court docket order with its strikes to arrest and arraign Mr Bello.
It argues that its transfer to arrest and arraign Mr Bello was primarily based on the warrant of arrest the Federal Excessive Court docket in Abuja issued on 17 April for the arrest of the previous governor.
The company additionally argues that the order issued in favour of Mr Bello by the Kogi State Excessive Court docket in a basic enforcement swimsuit doesn’t preclude him from being prosecuted for crimes he allegedly dedicated.
Not the primary time
This isn’t the primary contempt case Mr Bello’s camp could be submitting to combat off EFCC’s prison case.
In February 2023, a decide of the Kogi State Excessive Court docket, Rukayat Ayoola, jailed Mr Olukoyede’s predecessor, Abdulrasheed Bawa for 14 days, on the occasion of Yahaya Bello’s nephew, Ali Bello who accused Mr Bawa of disobeying a court docket order.
The youthful Ali alleged that Mr Bawa violated a court docket ruling, this dedicated an an of contempt, by going forward to arraign him on 15 December 2022 towards an earlier court docket order made on 12 December 2022.
Mr Ali Bello is at the moment dealing with N10 billion fraud fees on the Federal Excessive Court docket in Abuja.
Mr Bawa by no means served the jailed time imposed by the court docket.
He and the EFCC subsequently appealed towards the jailing.
(NAN)
Help PREMIUM TIMES’ journalism of integrity and credibility
At Premium Instances, we firmly imagine within the significance of high-quality journalism. Recognizing that not everybody can afford pricey information subscriptions, we’re devoted to delivering meticulously researched, fact-checked information that is still freely accessible to all.
Whether or not you flip to Premium Instances for every day updates, in-depth investigations into urgent nationwide points, or entertaining trending tales, we worth your readership.
It’s important to acknowledge that information manufacturing incurs bills, and we take pleasure in by no means putting our tales behind a prohibitive paywall.
Would you contemplate supporting us with a modest contribution on a month-to-month foundation to assist keep our dedication to free, accessible information?
Make Contribution
TEXT AD: Name Willie – +2348098788999
[ad_2]
Source link
