Metro
You don’t have powers to prosecute Akpobolokemi, court tells Keyamo’s lawyer
The trial of the former Director General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi, could not continue on Wednesday, as a Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere insisted that a representative of Mr. Festus Keyamo does not have powers to prosecute the N754, 740,680.00 fraud suit filed against him before the court.
Akpobolokemi and six others were arraigned before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The trial judge, Justice Raliat Adebiyi, ruled that Marcel Umeh, a counsel in the chambers of Keyamo, did not have the fiat of the Attorney- General of the Federation through the EFCC to prosecute the defendants.
She adjourned the case till May 3 for continuation of trial.
Akpobolokemi and his co-defendants, Capt. Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche, Governor Amechee Juan, Vincent Udoye, Captain Adegboyega Sahib Olopoenia and a company, Gama Marine Nigeria Limited are standing trial on a 13-count charge bordering on stealing and forgery.
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The regular counsel of the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, was expected to appear in court on Wednesday to continue the trial of the defendants but he was absent in court.
Umeh however announced his appearance for the prosecution and said: “I’m ready to go on and I have my witnesses”.
He was interrupted from calling his first witness by the counsel to the second defendant, Mr. E. D. Onyeke, who insisted that Umeh had no authority to prosecute the case on behalf of the government or Keyamo. Onyeke argued that Oyedepo had earlier notified him that he would not be available and that the case would not continue on Wednesday.
He said: “Mr. Marcel Umeh works in Festus Keyamo’s Chambers and not the Ministry of Justice or the EFCC.
“If Keyamo has a fiat from the Attorney-General to prosecute this matter and Oyedepo, an employee of the EFCC, also has theauthority to prosecute, it does not apply to Mr. Marcel. Mr. Marcel is only Keyamo’s employee and not that of the EFCC.
“Mr. Marcel is a private legal practitioner and he cannot prosecute this matter as a private legal practitioner”
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