Appeal Court nullifies arrest warrant against Amaechi, 2 others

The Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt, on Tuesday, set aside a warrant of arrest issued against the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and two others.

The other affected persons are the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, and the Commissioner for Power during Amaechi’s administration as governor of the state, Austine Wokocha.

The appellate court delivered the verdict in an appeal filed by Amaechi and others challenging the order of the state High Court.

Justice Chiwendu Nwogu of the Rivers State High Court, Port Harcourt, had on May 17 ordered the arrest of the three men while ruling in a criminal case filed by the state government.

The government had in the suit challenged the Amaechi administration’s decision to sell the state’s assets including the gas turbines to Sahara Energy, a company owned by Cole.

READ ALSO: Amaechi denies promising to return abandoned property to Igbo in Rivers

At Tuesday’s proceeding, two out of the three-member panel of the appeal court led by Justice Joseph Ikyegh agreed that the order be set aside while the third one declined.

Justice Abdul-Azeez Waziri, who read the ruling, said the lower court order was made in defiance of the appellate court.

He said the court gave the order at a time Amaechi had challenged at the appeal court, the service of information on him pursuant to Section 313 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law in the state.

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