Ekweremadu gets favour in court over asset declaration charges
Former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu won’t be declaring his assets after Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja has in his favour.
Multiple reports say the Court struck out charges of non-declaration of assets against Ekweremadu in Abuja, on Monday, February 24.
The case against Ekweremadu was instituted by Okoi Obono-Obla, the former head of the dissolved panel, Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property.
Obono-Obla had in 2018 instituted the case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/62/2018 against Ekweremadu, alleging that, “without reasonable excuse”, the serving senator refused and neglected to declare his assets upon being served the panel’s “notice to declare”.
The Attorney General of the Federation office took over the case and other suits being handled by the SPIP upon a presidential directive dissolving the panel in 2019.
On Monday, Justice Binta Nyako struck out the case against Ekweremadu after the prosecuting counsel from the AGF office, Pius Akutah, said the former lawyer handling the case for the panel had disappeared with the case file.
Akutah pleaded with the judge to order the former counsel to release the file to the AGF office but the request was declined by the judge.
But Ekweremadu’s lawyer, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), urged the judge to strike out the case.
Responding, Justice Nyako dismissed the prosecution’s request ruling that “The case is hereby struck out for want of diligent prosecution. The prosecution is allowed to come back whenever they are ready to proceed with the case.”