A federal high court in Abuja has set aside the interim
order of forfeiture issued on properties belonging to Ike Ekweremadu, former
deputy senate president.
Inyang Ekwo, presiding judge, in his ruling on Friday, held
that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) concealed facts when
it applied for an interim forfeiture of the assets.
On November 4, Ekwo ordered the interim forfeiture of
properties reportedly linked to the lawmaker.
He ordered the anti-graft agency to publish the order in a
national daily within seven days from the date it was given.
The interim forfeiture order included 10 properties in
Enugu, three in the United States, two in the United Kingdom, one in Lagos,
nine in Dubai, and 15 in the federal capital territory.
Persons interested in the properties were advised to
approach the court within 14 days of the publication and show why they should
not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.
Consequently, the Anambra state government and Uni-Medical
Healthcare Limited appeared before the court on December 5 as parties
interested in some of the seized properties.
Also, Ekweremadu’s son, Lloyd filed a motion on notice
marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1242/2022 through his lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo, praying
the court for an order setting aside the interim forfeiture order.
In the motion predicated on four grounds, Llyod averred that
the EFCC, in its ex-parte originating motion, “deliberately and fraudulently
omitted very critical facts/evidence, which negate the granting of the
application”.
He alleged that the EFCC wrote a letter to the London court
that made the court refuse to admit his father to bail.
Among others, he alleged that the EFCC was fully aware that
his father was in detention in London when the application for forfeiture of
the properties was filed.
He said the anti-graft agency deliberately refused to
disclose to the court that his father was in detention in the UK and would not
be able to counter the forfeiture request.
He, therefore, prayed the court to set aside the forfeiture
order and stay proceedings on the matter until his father’s ordeal in the UK is
resolved.
Responding, the EFCC, through, Silvanus Tahir, its counsel,
refuted the claim that it was responsible for Ekweremadu’s detention in the UK.
Tahir acknowledged that the agency wrote the UK court in
response to a particular request, but claimed that sharing information that is
advantageous to both parties is standard procedure for anti-corruption
organisations across the globe.
EFCC said it was not opposed to Ekweremadu’s plea to halt
the proceedings until he returned, but countered the bid to have the interim
forfeiture order overturned.
But in the ruling, the judge agreed with Llyod’s submissions
and overturned the interim forfeiture order.
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