THE Federal High Court sitting Abuja, on Monday, adjourned till
April 12, 2018, to hear a motion brought before it by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking to seize properties
traced to the former first lady, Patience Jonathan.
The adjournment followed a request by counsel to the former
first lady, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), who had asked the court for
time to respond to the counter affidavit filed by the anti-graft
agency.
The EFCC had filed an ex parte motion seeking temporary
forfeiture of some properties allegedly belonging to Ariwabai
Aruera Reachout Foundation which has a link with the former first
lady; situated on Plot No. 1758, Cadastral Zone, B06 Mabushi and
Plot No.1350, Cadastral Zone, A00 Central Business District,
Abuja.
However, when the matter came up for hearing at the last
adjournment, January 22, the trial judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba had
ordered the investigation of the claim by the respondent that the
said properties have been demolished by agents of the Federal
Government.
When the matter came up yesterday for hearing, counsel to EFCC,
Rimamsomte Ezekiel, told the court that its investigations showed
that the said properties it seeks to freeze were not the ones
demolished by agents of the government as claimed by the
respondent.
He, however, said he has filed a counter affidavit, challenging
the veracity of the respondent’s claims.
Chief Ozekhome, in his response, refuted the claim by the EFCC,
lamenting that, if not for the insecurity in the country, the
respondent would have moved the court to the demolished cite to
personally confirm for itself.
He told the court that the respondent is in possession of a CD
(compact disk) of the demolished building which it would present to
the court at the next sitting.
While describing as a lie the counter affidavit filed by the
applicant, Ozekhome claimed that the EFCC destroyed two of the four
buildings and only took pictures of the two remaining buildings
from the back.
He maintained that even if it was a room that was demolished,
the applicant does not have the right to do so since the matter was
already in court.
Justice Dimgba subsequently adjourned till April 12, 2018, for
the hearing of the matter.
The report has it that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
Development and Control had allegedly demolished the said
properties of the former first lady on 16th of January 2018.
Ozekhome said the demolition took place despite a suit
challenging the temporary forfeiture application of the EFCC of the
properties which is pending before a sister court presided over by
Justice John Tsoho.
“My Lord, we are in a democracy, not dictatorship. Demolition of
the properties which are a subject matter of a suit before the
court is the highest level of lawlessness and disregard to the rule
of law. It is an act of intimidation on the judiciary.
“You cannot destroy properties already a subject matter of a
suit before a court whether done directly or indirectly by the
government or EFCC”, he told the court.
THE Federal High Court sitting Abuja, on Monday, adjourned till
April 12, 2018, to hear a motion brought before it by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking to seize properties
traced to the former first lady, Patience Jonathan.
The adjournment followed a request by counsel to the former
first lady, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), who had asked the court for
time to respond to the counter affidavit filed by the anti-graft
agency.
The EFCC had filed an ex parte motion seeking temporary
forfeiture of some properties allegedly belonging to Ariwabai
Aruera Reachout Foundation which has a link with the former first
lady; situated on Plot No. 1758, Cadastral Zone, B06 Mabushi and
Plot No.1350, Cadastral Zone, A00 Central Business District,
Abuja.
However, when the matter came up for hearing at the last
adjournment, January 22, the trial judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba had
ordered the investigation of the claim by the respondent that the
said properties have been demolished by agents of the Federal
Government.
When the matter came up yesterday for hearing, counsel to EFCC,
Rimamsomte Ezekiel, told the court that its investigations showed
that the said properties it seeks to freeze were not the ones
demolished by agents of the government as claimed by the
respondent.
He, however, said he has filed a counter affidavit, challenging
the veracity of the respondent’s claims.
Chief Ozekhome, in his response, refuted the claim by the EFCC,
lamenting that, if not for the insecurity in the country, the
respondent would have moved the court to the demolished cite to
personally confirm for itself.
He told the court that the respondent is in possession of a CD
(compact disk) of the demolished building which it would present to
the court at the next sitting.
While describing as a lie the counter affidavit filed by the
applicant, Ozekhome claimed that the EFCC destroyed two of the four
buildings and only took pictures of the two remaining buildings
from the back.
He maintained that even if it was a room that was demolished,
the applicant does not have the right to do so since the matter was
already in court.
Justice Dimgba subsequently adjourned till April 12, 2018, for
the hearing of the matter.
The report has it that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
Development and Control had allegedly demolished the said
properties of the former first lady on 16th of January 2018.
Ozekhome said the demolition took place despite a suit
challenging the temporary forfeiture application of the EFCC of the
properties which is pending before a sister court presided over by
Justice John Tsoho.
“My Lord, we are in a democracy, not dictatorship. Demolition of
the properties which are a subject matter of a suit before the
court is the highest level of lawlessness and disregard to the rule
of law. It is an act of intimidation on the judiciary.
“You cannot destroy properties already a subject matter of a
suit before a court whether done directly or indirectly by the
government or EFCC”, he told the court.