An attempt yesterday by the independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to arraign former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sunday Ehindero and a former commissioner of Police, CP John Obaniyi over N557 million scam has proved abortive.
The commission has attempted to arraign the former police boss on three different occasions without success.
Although presiding judge in the matter, Justice Abubakar Umar of the Abuja High Court insisted that both Ehindero and Obanyi be docked, charges were however not read to the accused.
The duo were alleged to have conspired between the months of May and November 2006, used their position to confer corrupt advantages upon themselves by placing the sum of N300 million out of the N557bmillion donated to the Nigeria Police Force by the Bayelsa state Government for the procurement of arms, ammunition and riot control equipments, in a fixed deposit account at Wema Bank Plc where it yielded an interest of N9.8 million for them.
Counsel to Ehindero Mike Ozekome (SAN) insisted that charges should not be read to his client, pending the determination of the preliminary objection raised against the competence of the prosecutor, competence of the charge as well as the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter.
Prosecuting council, Paul Ahmed Bassey who had earlier successfully moved an application to amend charges against the accused persons argued that the objection by defence counsel was premature as he said such should be heard after the charges must have been read to the accused.
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Ozekome is right. The preliminary objection ought to be taken first before any step will be taken in the matter. That is the position of the law.
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