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Tag: Melaye

  • Police arrest Melaye again

    Police arrest Melaye again

    The Executive Secretary of Anti-Corruption Network, Hon. Dino Melaye, was yesterday arrested by security operatives suspected to be policemen.

    The arrest comes barely two weeks after he was arrested for leading a protest to the Ministry of Aviation in Abuja over the N255 million two bullet proof cars allegedly for the Minister, Ms. Stella Oduah by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    It was learnt that Melaye was whisked to the Federal Capital Territory Police Command by a Special Team led by one Patrick Ejoh, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).

    The ex-lawmakers was also said to have been searched by the security operatives in an apparent  bid to get possible incriminating materials.

    The police officers were said to have arrived Melaye’s office at about 5:20 pm with a warrant of arrest for alleged “criminal intimidation and threat to life”.

    According to the warrant of arrest, Melaye may be arraigned at an undisclosed Abuja Magistrate Court today.

    Before the police took him away, Melaye told reporters that: “Two police officers are presently with me and they have come to arrest me. I did not know my offence; the two police officers just told me that they have a warrant of arrest on me with a charge of criminal intimidation and threat to life.

    “But they did not tell me who I intimidated and threatened.

    “There are two ASPs here, one of them is Patrick Ejoh. They said they were taking me to FCT State Command.”

    A bloody clash was recently averted at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja as protesters led by Melaye and a group of youths allegedly sponsored by Oduah staged demonstrations over the N255 million car scam which was used to buy bullet-proof Vehicles for the Minister.

    During the fracas, Melaye and his men were held hostage for about 50 minutes by a team of 200 riot policemen.

     

     

     

     

  • Police release Melaye

    Police release Melaye

    The police have released the Executive Secretary of Anti-Corruption Network, Hon. Dino Melaye.

    Melaye was arrested during a protest against the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, in Abuja on Wednesday over the alleged purchase of two BMW bullet proof cars at N255 million by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    During the protest, youths allegedly sponsored by the Minister clashed with the Melaye’s group.

    The police later arrested Melaye and whisked him away.

    However, the former member of the House of Representatives told journalists in Abuja after his release that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Commissioner of Police “was very civil and exhibited professionalism in the discharge of police duties.”

  • Adoke’s N10.2b suit against Melaye: AGF’s late response stalls hearing

    Proceedings were aborted on Thursday in the N10.2billion suit filed by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Mohammed Adoke (SAN) against former lawmaker, Dino Melaye, owing to Adoke’s late service of court papers on the defendants.

    The court was to open hearing in the case, but it stopped on learning that Adoke served his response the previous day.

    Defence’s lawyer, Anthony Itedjere, of Bamidele Aturu and Co, told the court that his clients were served the previous day, with copies of Adoke’s address filed on September 4.

    He pleaded for time to examine the documents, a request Justice Olasumbo Goodluck granted. She adjourned the case to December 5.

    Adoke was represented by a group of lawyers, including five Senior Advocates of Nigeria – Robert Clarke, Bolaji Ayorinde, Ahmed Raji, Babajide Koku and Donald Denigwe.

    Adoke had sued Melaye (former House of Representatives member) and a group, Anti-Corruption Network (ACN), accusing them of damaging his reputation in a petition to President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Melaye and his group had in the petition dated April 11, this year, listed incidents of alleged graft and “outrageous use of powers against public interest” against the AGF.

    In the suit, Adoke is, among others, claiming N10.2billion in damages and cost.

    In their defence, Melaye and ACN urged the court to dismiss the suit. They queried the competence and integrity of the AGF.

    They also raised allegations of corruption and abuse of office, particularly Adoke’s alleged role in the controversial Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 245 allocated to Malabu Oil and Gas Limited owned by former Petroleum Minister, Chief Dan Etete.

    They accused Adoke of paying lip service to the fight against corruption and plotting to hobble the anti-corruption agencies –  Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by allegedly working to “castrate and frustrate them from investigating and prosecuting corruption and other economic and financial crimes in Nigeria”.

    Adoke described the allegations as “embarrassing, scandalous, vexatious, disclosing no defence to the action and an abuse of the process of the court”.

    The defendants consequently filed a counter-affidavit to Adoke’s response.

    They argued that the allegations “raise the defence of justification and the roll-up plea to the suit of the plaintiff. The paragraphs contain facts showing why the suit of the plaintiff should be dismissed or not succeed”.

    However, Adoke prayed the court to discountenance the defendants’ argument and strike out their case.

  • $180m Halliburton scandal: AGF files N10.2b libel suit against Melaye

    $180m Halliburton scandal: AGF files N10.2b libel suit against Melaye

    •Melaye: we have not been served

    The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), has filed a N10.2billion libel suit against the Executive Secretary of Anti-Corruption Network, Mr Dino Melaye, and the registered trustees of the non-governmental organisation (NGO).

    Besides asking for N10billion as damages for alleged libel, the minister, who is the first public officer in this administration to respond to allegations of corruption against him, has asked for N200million as the cost of litigation.

    The minister has assembled an 11-man team for the legal battle, including Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN); Donald Denigwe (SAN); Babajide Koku (SAN) and Ahmed Raji (SAN).

    But Melaye said yesterday he was not aware of the suit.

    He said: “We have not been served. When we are served, we will consult our lawyers and react appropriately. But I want to say that after he has failed trying to use the police to institute a criminal libel against us, he has finally gone to court and the court will further indict him.”

    Adoke said Melaye has damaged his reputation in a publication on April 12, where he accused the minister of corrupt practices, obstruction of justice for corrupt elements and an abuse of power.

    In the suit filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the minister asked the court for “an order of perpetual injunction restraining Melaye and other defendants, their servants, agents or privies from further inferring in any manner whatsoever to the plaintiff’s reputation”.

    Melaye had raised seven allegations bordering on abuse of office against Adoke. They include the controversial cases on the N150billion allegedly recovered from the convicted former Oceanic Bank Managing Director, Mrs. Cecilia Ibru; the $180million Halliburton scandal and the return of Vaswani brothers to Nigeria after an alleged N2.5billion tax evasion.

    Some of the allegations leveled against the AGF by Melaye and the Anti-Corruption Network are as follows:

    •That Mrs Ibru, who was convicted by a Federal High Court to six months imprisonment following a fraud, was to forfeit over N150billion in cash and assets. But allegedly she entered into a plea bargain with the AGF in his office and, till date, nothing is heard on the money and the assets.

    •That the AGF refused to produce 14 witnesses that were to testify in the $180million (US) Halliburton bribery scandal, which led to the striking out of the case by Justice Abubakar Umar of an Abuja High Court.

    •That the AGF allegedly raised a memo on the case of the Vaswani brothers, who were deported for a second time in April 2009 for an alleged N2.5billion tax evasion, that they should be allowed to return to Nigeria.

    •That a case of N10billion money laundering against a former Executive Vice –Chairman of Intercontinental Bank, Erastus Akingbola, at a Federal High Court, was struck out by Justice Dan Archibong on the grounds of shoddy prosecution; yet, the AGF allegedly refused to re-file the charges.

    But in his statement of claim, Adoke averred that the “defendants deliberately, carelessly and intentionally authorised the publication of the words referred to herein knowing fully well that the words as published and as concerning the plaintiff meant in their natural and ordinary meaning in the estimation of all right thinking persons to be the following:

    •“That the plaintiff is a dishonourable person, who associates himself with criminals and economic saboteurs.

    •“That the plaintiff, even though a top government official, is sabotaging the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria to tackle the menace of corruption.

    •“The plaintiff is dishonest and dishonourable by providing assistance to oil thieves and other criminals.

    •“That the plaintiff seeks for and receives bribes or other forms of pecuniary advantage in other to assist the selfish aims of the plaintiff and persons indicted of crime.

    •“That the plaintiff is not a fit and proper person to occupy any position of authority or responsibility including that of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

    “It is further averred that the defamatory publication by the defendants were specifically directed to the plaintiff and no other person.

     

  • …Police invite Melaye

    …Police invite Melaye

    The Nigeria Police Force yesterday invited the Executive Secretary of the Anti-Corruption Network, Hon Dino Melaye, over allegations against the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN.

    It was learnt that the police invitation followed a petition by Melaye’s anti-graft agency to President Goodluck Jonathan alleging graft and “outrageous use of powers against public interest” by the AGF.

    The letter, from the Office of the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, was signed by the Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of X-Squad, Ali Amodu.

    The letter stated that Melaye was invited in connection with the full-scale investigation being conducted into the allegations against the Minister of Justice.

    The letter reads in part: “This office is investigating a case of alleged corruption, abuse of office and incompetence levelled against the current Honorable Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (Mohammed Bello Adoke) by your organization.

    “In view of this, the Inspector-General of Police has directed that a full-scale investigation be conducted into the allegations by this office.”