The Federal High Court, Abuja yesterday granted the federal government leave to serve criminal charges on the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and Bassey Akpan, representing Akwa Ibom North East at the National Assembly.
The court orders followed complaint by the federal government that the duo have been evading the service of the criminal charges preferred against them.
Counsel to the federal government, Celsus Ukpong, in two separate exparte motions, prayed the court to permit the service of the two-count criminal charge against Ekweremadu through substituted service, the Clerk of the National Assembly.
According to him, efforts made to serve Ekweremadu with the charge so that his trial on refusal to declare his asset before the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the recovery of public property could commence, had allegedly being frustrated.
The two-count charge against Ekweremadu it would be recalled was filed last month but had not been served.
Justice Nyako, after listening to both arguments on the alleged evasion of service of the charge granted the federal government request and ordered that the charge be served on Ekweremadu through the Clerk of the National Assembly.
In another exparte motion brought before Justice John Tsoho, Ukpong had complained that Senator Akpan and Ekweremadu who were charged with failure to declare their assets, allegedly refused to be served.
Justice Nyako adjourned the case to October 22, while Justice Tsoho adjourned that of Senator Akpan to November 19.
…It’s laughable – DSP Meanwhile, Ekweremadu has his attention has been drawn to an attempt by the Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), Mr. Ofem Obono-Obla, to smear his name in midst of the current political activities.
In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, Ekweremadu described the suit filed against him by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation as laughable and malicious.
He said: “Let me re-affirm to Nigerians and my supporters that I have no assets declaration case to answer.
The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria requires pubic office holders to declare their assets every four years, a requirement which I fulfilled.
The panel requested and obtained copies of my Assets Declaration Form from the Code of Conduct Bureau where everything is stated in black and white.
“For emphasis, all my assets were fully and comprehensively declared to the Code of Conduct Bureau.
“What is at issue here is that the SPIP had forwarded fresh assets declaration forms to me to fill, contrary to the position of the 1999 Constitution, a demand I refused to oblige because it is clearly unconstitutional.
It is this refusal to disobey the Constitution that I am now being charged for.
“I am aware that the Chairman of that Panel wrote the same letter to some serving Honourable Judges of the Federal High Court, who also declined to fill them.
“I am also aware that the affected Judges petitioned the Minister of Justice and AttorneyGeneral of the Federation (AGF), Mallam Abubakar Malami, who immediately withdrew the provocative letters and fresh asset declaration forms with apologies.
“It is obvious that this is part of the desperate and panic measures to cripple the opposition ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Every opposition candidate and leader should, therefore, be ready for such smear campaigns and onslaughts, but rest assured, however, that they would ultimately triumph where their hands are clean.
“Nigerians and the international community should, therefore, disregard this latest campaign of calumny and witch-hunt”.
