FG, presidential panel drag Nwaoboshi, Akpan before CCT

By Tunde Opalana, Abuja

The federal government has dragged the senator representing Delta North Senatorial District. Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, to the Code of Conduct Tribunal on a three –counts- charge of false assets declaration.

The charges were filed by the office of the Department of Public Prosecutions, Federal Ministry of Justice.

Sen. Nwaoboshi was recently referred to the department of public prosecutions for prosecution by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the recovery of public property led by Okoi Obono-Obla.

A copy of the charge directed that Nwaoboshi is to be tried for allegedly making false assets declaration in his Form CCB1 submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau by failing to declare three bank accounts he maintains with Sterling Bank since 2015.

Similarly, a Federal High Court, Abuja, presided by Justice J.T Tsoho in suit FHC/ABJ/CR/88/2018 between the federal government and Senator Albert Bassey Akpan, ruled that the Special Presidential Investigation Panel is competent to initiate criminal prosecution against the senator or anybody it has investigated.

The court further held that the prosecutor of the panel, Dr. Celsus Ukpong is competent to sign or initiate criminal prosecution and doesn’t require the consent of the attorney general of the federation and minister of justice to do so.

Principal State Counsel at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Labaran Magaji, who signed the charges, alleged that Nwaoboshi’s action was contrary to section 15 (1) and (2) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act and punishable under Section 23(2) of the same Act.

Accompanying the charges filed against the Delta North senator was a document titled: “An application to commence trial” that states that “it is the prosecution’s case that the defendant, a serving senator was investigated and found to have falsely declared his assets in his assets declaration Form CCB1 No. SEN001098.

“The prosecution in this case shall rely on the exhibits and testimonies of witnesses to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.”

Ruling on the case involving Senator Akpan, the court also said that the presidential panel doesn’t require the consent of the President before it can initiate criminal proceedings against anybody.

Sen. Akpan was arraigned before the Federal High Court for refusing to declare his assets contrary to Section 3 (a) of the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provisions) Act, 2004. However, he objected to the competence of the panel to file charges against him.

With the ruling, the coast is now clear for Sen. Akpan to face trial over the charges filed against him. However, senator through his counsel, Solomon Unoh (SAN) has filed a notice of appeal on the June 13 challenging the ruling of the federal high court.

Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the Presidential Panel, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, said that the ruling is great and that it has added an impetus to the fight against corruption and strengthened the hands of the panel.