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Court restrains Reps from inviting CUPP spokesman over $10m bribery allegation
Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, restrained the House of Representatives from inviting the Spokesman of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Mr. Ikenga Ugochinyere, over alleged $10 million bribery levelled against the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The House Ad-Hoc committee investigating the allegation against the Speaker had summoned Ugochinyere to appear before it unfailingly on Thursday.
Justice Taiwo, who delivered the ruling in a suit filed by Ugochinyere, reminded the defendants of the position of the law once a matter was before the court.
According to him, once a matter is in court, parties must not do any act to foist upon the court a situation of fait accompli.
Besides restraining the lawmakers from going ahead with the probe, the judge also ordered an accelerated hearing of the case.
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Gbajabiamila, the Clerk of the National Assembly and the Inspector-General of Police are listed as defendants in the case.
The House had set up the committee headed by Henry Nwawuba to probe the $10 million bribe allegedly offered to the lawmakers by the United States billionaire, Bill Gates, to accelerate the quick passage of Control Infections Disease Bill, 2020.
The committee gave the CUPP spokesman seven days to appear before its members to prove the allegation.
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