The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) has traced a car owned by Walter Onnoghen, the embattled chief
justice of Nigeria (CJN), to Joe Agi, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
The anti-graft agency believes
the car is a gift from the lawyer, who had cases before Onnoghen at the time of
purchase.
But Agi has told the EFCC that
aside being a senior lawyer, he is also a car dealer and Onnoghen bought the
Mercedes GL 450 series from him for N7 million in 2010, sources revealed.
However, when he was asked to
produce receipts of purchase and other documentation relating to the
transaction, he could not do so.
Previously, the EFCC traced a
deposit of $30,000 by Agi into Onnoghen’s bank account dating back to 2009.
He was also said to have had
cases before the judge when he made the deposits.
Agi has since denied the
allegation that the $30,000 was a bribe.
In a press statement, he said the
money was from allowances paid to Onnoghen on seminars, holidays, conferences
or medical trips abroad.
Agi said: “I have been acquainted
with Justice Onnoghen, JSC in our days as Lawyers in Calabar, Cross Rivers
State from the 1980s before he was appointed a High Court Judge.
“My Lord Justice Onnoghen said he
had no idea since opening of foreign account was forbidden for Public Officers.
I informed him that domiciliary account is not a foreign bank account as it is
opened and operated within the local banks in Nigeria.
“It was on this note that I went
to my banker Standard Chartered Bank and obtained Account Opening Forms for him
as a friend and Senior Brother. He completed the Forms and I refereed him. He
gave me $30,000 being left over of his allowances for overseas seminars,
holidays, conferences or medical trips to deposit for him as the first deposit.
This I did in 2009 i.e 10 years ago. After that, he operated the account
himself without me paying even a cent into that account till date.
“Now 10 years after, I am again
being vilified and accused of giving Justice Onnoghen bribe. If I may ask;
bribe for which case? In the Supreme Court panel they sit in 5 or 7 persons,
was the $30,000 for the 5 or 7 Justices? And for which case? This is another
huge joke aimed at vilifying my person by the same cabal who are hell bent on
tarnishing my image as an aftermath of the exposure of the Paris Club fraud.”
Agi is one of the lawyers
defending Onnoghen in his asset declaration case before the Code of Conduct
Tribunal (CCT).
Onnoghen is currently being tried
by the CCT over allegations of non-declaration of some of his assets, although
he said it was an oversight.
In a previous case, which was
eventually dismissed, a foreign firm owned by Agi’s friend paid N30 million
into the account of the wife of Adeniyi Adetokunbo Ademola, a justice of the
federal high court, for their daughter’s wedding.
He was also said to have bought a
car for Ademola’s son.
The case filed against him for
“gratification” was dismissed on technical grounds, although many lawyers
argued that it was a professional misconduct which should have been punished by
the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee.
Efforts to reach Agi
were unsuccessful as his phone rang out. He has also not responded to text
messages.
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