The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ihedi Ohakim

  • Court grants Ohakim permission to seek treatment abroad

    Court grants Ohakim permission to seek treatment abroad

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday granted the former Governor of Imo, Ikedi Ohakim, permission to travel abroad for medical treatment.

    Vacation judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba granted the permission following an application made by Ohakim’s counsel, Mr. Gordy Uche (SAN).

    Uche, in the application, asked the court to release Ohakim’s passport to enable him travel abroad for routine medical check up.

    The prosecuting counsel, Mr. Festus Ukpe, did not oppose the application and the court granted the request.

    Ohakim is expected to return his passport to the registrar of the court not later than 48 hours upon his return in August.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the substantive case against Ohakim is before Justice Adeniyi Ademola, but he approached Justice Dimgba’s court because of the court’s vacation.

    Ademola had on June 30 dismissed a no case submission filed by Ohakim over alleged corruption and money laundering charges, saying the ex-governor has a case to answer.

    The judge held that the prosecution led by Mr. Festus Keyamo had established a prima-facie case against the defendant.

     

  • Alleged threat to witness’ life stalls Ohakim’s trial

    Alleged threat to witness’ life stalls Ohakim’s trial

    The trial of former Imo State governor, Ikedi Ohakim, was stalled on Tuesday following a disagreement between prosecution and defence lawyers over alleged threat by Ohakim’s son to a prosecution witness.

    Ohakim is arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly making a cash payment of $2, 290,000.00 for a piece of land at Plot No. 1098 Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, otherwise known as No. 60, Kwame Nkuruma Street, Asokoro, Abuja.

    The prosecution lawyer, Festus Keyamo, told the court that one of the prosecution’s witnesses, Abu Sule, was being trailed by one Emeka Ohakim, a son to the ex-governor.

    Keyamo told the court that the second prosecution witness, Sule, who is the Managing Director of Tweenex Consociate H.D. Limited, phoned him at about 9.00pm on January 25, saying the second son of the defendant,  Emeka , had gone to his ( Sule) office at Asokoro to inquire about his home address from some individuals.

    He added that Ohakim’s son had allegedly approached three people, whose names he gave simply as Okon (a driver), Akpabor (a driver) and Shola (an architect), for Sule’s home address.

    ‘‘We will apply, at this stage that a word of caution and concern go out. If it repeats itself, we shall bring appropriate application before the court over the development,’’ Keyamo said.

    Responding, Ohakim’s lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN) expressed dismay at what he described as Keyamo’s outburst, arguing that the issue ought to have been discussed at another gathering rather than blowing it open.

    Uche said:‘ ‘I have no doubt that what the prosecution has said amounts to destabilizing the defence. Keyamo had been sitting directly behind us for more than one hour before the case was called, but he didn’t raise the matter. He also saw the defendant eyeball to eyeball when he came to our seats, yet he didn’t discuss the matter. Now, it is on the Internet and it will be in the press tomorrow.’’

    He urged the court to dismiss the story as unfounded, adding that the prosecution could file an application to formally bring the issue before the court.

     

  • Ohakim granted bail

    Ohakim granted bail

    Former Imo State governor, Ikedi Ohakim, got a breather on Thursday as a Federal High Court, Abuja, accepted his bail application.

    Ohakim, who left office in 2011, was arraigned in court Wednesday on a three-count charge bordering on money laundering.

    The charge was filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    In his ruling, Justice Adeniyi Ademola ignored the objection by the prosecution and granted Ohakim bail with the sum of N270million and a surety in like sum.

    The judge, who ordered Ohakim to deposit his international passport with the court’s registrar, said the surety must be a resident of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with a landed property within the city.

    Justice Ademola observed that the essence of bail was to ensure the accused person attend court to stand trial.

    He also noted that since the prosecution has concluded investigation, the likelihood of the accused person interfering with prosecution’s witnesses and investigation was not real.

    Ohakim is being prosecuted  for allegedly making a cash payment to the tune of $2, 290,000.00 ( about N270,000,000.00), for the purchase of a property at Plot No. 1098 Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, otherwise known as No.60, Kwame Nkurumah Street, Asokoro, Abuja.

    The EFCC argued that the amount is above the threshold approved for an individual going by the provisions of Section 1 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2004.

     

  • Ohakim, Nyako, three others remanded in EFCC custody

    Ohakim, Nyako, three others remanded in EFCC custody

    Justices Adeniyi Ademola and Evoh Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday ordered that former governors Ikedi Ohakim (Imo) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and three others should be remanded in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) custody following their arraignment in court.

    While Ohakim was arraigned separately on a three-count charge before Justice Ademola, Nyako, his son, who is a serving Senator, Abdul-Aziz, and two of their aides – Abubakar Aliyu and Zulkifikk Abba were arraigned before Justice Chukwu on a 37-count charge.

    The charges against them border on corruption, abuse of office and money laundering.

    Ohakim, who was arrested by operatives of the EFCC on Tuesday, is being prosecuted  for allegedly making a cash payment to the tune of $2, 290,000.00 ( about N270,000,000.00) for the purchase of a property at Plot No. 1098 Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, otherwise known as No.60, Kwame Nkurumah Street, Asokoro, Abuja.

    The EFCC believed the amount is above the threshold approved for an individual going by the provisions of Section 1 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2004.

    He was also accused of deliberately neglecting to disclose all his assets in the declaration submitted to the EFCC and the Code of Conduct Bureau.

    One of the counts reads:  “That you, Ikedi Ohakim, on or about the 26th of January, 2013 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, while under arrest for an offence under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004 knowingly failed to make a full disclosure of your assets by not declaring your ownership of the property known and described as Plot No. 1098 Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District- it is also known as No.60, Kwame Nkurumah Street, Asokoro, Abuja and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27(3)(c) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004 and punishable under the same section.”

    Ohakim pleaded not guilty to the charge, following which the prosecution lawyer, Festus Keyamo, sought a date for the commencement of trial.

    He also asked that Ohakim be remanded in prison custody pending the trial date.