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Court dismisses certificate forgery case against Reps’ spokesman

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Justice Ohabuike Chijioke of the Abia State High Court, Umuahia, on Wednesday dismissed the certificate forgery case filed against the Chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Benjamin Kalu.

The judge dismissed the suit for lack of merit.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Okechukwu Ezeala, had in the suit asked the court to sack Kalu over alleged certificate forgery.

In an originating summon filed in court, Ezeala alleged that the House spokesman forged the primary, secondary, and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificates he presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2019 general elections.

The certificates, according to him, bear different names, including Umunna, Okezie, Osisiogwu and Kalu, without valid proof that they belonged to him.

 
READ ALSO: ‘Certificate forgery allegation laughable, unfounded,’ says Reps spokesman, Kalu

But Justice Chijioke held that the claimant failed by the way of evidence, to discharge the burden of proof on the allegation.

He said Kalu had proved that all the documents submitted to INEC belonged to him.

“This case lacks merit. I, therefore, dismiss it,” the judge said.

He awarded the sum of N100,000 and N50,000 to Kalu and INEC respectively.

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