The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Okorocha, Senator representing Imo West Senatorial District, in a suit marked FHC\/ABJ\/CS\/558\/2020 filed on May 28, had urged the court to restrain the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Imo panel from probing his government between 2011 and 2019.
Other defendants in the suit are the Attorney General of Imo; members of the Judicial Commission on Lands and Related Matters, members of the panel to investigate the activities of ISOPADEC; members of the panel to investigate the status of the newly established Tertiary institutions; members of the investigative committee for financial transactions in Imo; Committee for the Review of appointments recruitments and related matters from 2015 till date and the Committee for the investigation of LGA, etc.
At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, Okorocha\u2019s counsel, Oba Maduabuchi, SAN, informed the court that the matter was slated for hearing of the motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction to stop the actions of the defendants.
He hinted that despite an undertaking by J.M. Mathew, counsel to 2nd to 48th defendants, the state panel had continue its sitting.
\u201cOn the July 8, Mr Matthew, who appeared for 2nd to 48th defendants, undertook solemnly on record and from the bar that his clients will cease all investigations until motion on notice for injunction is determined.
\u201cI deeply regret to say that the next day, July 9, one of the first set of defendants sat on July 9. It also sat on July 17,\u201d he said.
Maduabuchi said he had filed an affidavit on Monday to that regard.
The lawyer said only a formal order by the court could restrain them from continue the sitting pending the determination of the matter.
Counsel to EFCC, Ekele Iheanacho, who apologised for the commission\u2019s non-representation in court since the start of the case, said the case file was forwarded to him the previous day.
\u201cWe pray the court for time to respond to the motion on notice,\u201d he appealed.
Responding, Akaolisa said though Mathew, who appeared in the last adjourned date narrated what transpired in court to him, he said he had expected to respond to the issue orally only to be \u201cconfronted with an affidavit just served on us today.\u201d
He said it was disheartening that Maduabuchi had not explained the very circumstances of the case to the court.
According to him, Maduabuchi filed a suit against the 2nd to 10th defendants at Owerri High Court in Imo, seeking to stop them from further proceeding of their investigation.
\u201cMy learned SAN (Maduabuchi) filed the same application here, seeking for an interlocutory injection to stop them (the panel) from sitting in that suit,\u201d he explained.
Akaolisa said the Owerri court refused to grant their prayers.
\u201cIt is uncharitable that he filed this case without informing this court about the ruling that was delivered by another court.
\u201cIt is the same issue he is canvassing; one in Owerri and one here, to stop the panel from sitting.
\u201cMy lord, I urge you to take our preliminary objection first because this is an abuse of court process.
\u201cIt will be better to hear the preliminary objection before any other thing my lord,\u201d he said.
Akaolisa told the court that some commissioners during Okorocha\u2019s government had appeared before the panel, including the former governor\u2019s counsel.
However, he said when the panel summoned Okorocha to appear to answer questions regarding some issues, the former governor began to run from one court or the other, seeking for a restraining order.
\u201cMy lord, the plaintiff has four suits before Justice Taiwo against EFCC, ICPC, and all agencies on anti-corruption in his bid to stop them from investigating him,\u201d Akaolisa told the court.
Justice Mohammed, who declined to give an order restraining the panel from sitting, told counsel to Imo government that the panel must not conclude the exercise until the court determines the substantive suit before it. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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