Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the former Deputy President of the Senate, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, of being responsible for his travails at the London Court where he is in detention.
The Senator who has been in custody in London over an alleged organ harvest, told the Federal High Court Abuja, that the anti-graft agency wrote a letter to the London Court that made the foreign court to refuse to admit him to bail.
Ekweremadu’s allegations were contained in an application he filed before the Federal High Court, seeking order of to set aside interim order granted in favour of the Federal Government for forfeiture of his 40 properties in the country and outside the country.
In the application brought by his counsel and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adegboyega Awomolo, Ekweremadu claimed that the forfeiture order was granted the Federal Government in error, because the EFCC suppressed information and facts in respect of the properties.
Specifically, the detained Senator alleged that the EFCC fraudulently obtained the forfeiture order for government by concealing information that investigation on the 40 properties started as far back as 2008.
He further alleged that the EFCC was fully aware that he was in detention in London when the application for forfeiture of the properties was filed and argued.
He said that the anti-graft agency deliberately refused to disclose to the court that he was in London detention and would not be able to counter the forfeiture request.
The Senator, therefore, prayed the court to set aside the forfeiture order and stay proceedings in the matter until he resolves his ordeal before the London Court.
However, counsel to the EFCC, Mr Silvanus Tahir SAN denied that his client was behind Ekweremadu’s ordeal.
He however admitted that the EFCC wrote the London Court based on a special request adding that it was a normal routine for anti-graft agencies to exchange information that would be of help to one another.
Tahir did not oppose request for stay of proceedings till Ekweremadu fully resolve his matter before the London Court but however opposed the request for setting aside of the forfeiture order.
The trial judge, Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo subsequently fixed January 25 next year for ruling in the matter.
FG Moves To Claim Ike Ekweremadu’s Properties, Secures Interim Forfeiture Order
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday, November 4, 2022, ordered an interim forfeiture of 40 landed properties belonging to the embattled former Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, who is currently in custody in the United Kingdom.
The trial Judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo made the order following an ex-parte motion marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/1242/2022 filed and moved by Ibrahim Buba on behalf of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
In a short ruling on the exparte motion, the Judge ordered the anti-graft agency to publish the interim forfeiture order of the properties in a national daily within seven days from the date the order was given.
Justice Ekwo specifically asked anybody interested in the properties covered by the interim forfeiture order to indicate within 14 days of the publication of the interim forfeiture order of the court.
Justice Ekwo adjourned till December 5, 2022, for a report, if there is any objection from any member of the public regarding the properties.
The interim forfeiture order covers 10 Ekweremadu’s properties in Enugu, three in the United States of America (USA), two in the United Kingdom (UK), one in Lagos, nine in Dubai, and 15 located in the Federal Capital Territory.
By the ruling, members of the public interested in the properties, covered by the interim forfeiture order should, within 14 days of the newspaper publication, inform the court why the properties should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
The former Deputy Senate President and his wife are currently standing trial in the United Kingdom over alleged organ harvest.
Source: ChannelsTV
