EFCC Responsible For My Travails In London Court – Ekweremadu Tells Court

EFCC Responsible For My Travails In London Court – Ekweremadu Tells Court

Senator Ike Ekweremadu, a former Deputy Senate President, told a Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was to blame for his troubles at the London Court, where he is currently detained.

The Senator, who is being held in London on suspicion of organ harvesting, told the Court that the anti-graft agency wrote a letter to the London Court, causing the foreign court to refuse to admit him to bail.

Ekweremadu’s allegations were contained in an application he filed before the Federal High Court seeking an order setting aside the interim order granted to the Federal Government for the forfeiture of his 40 properties in the country and abroad.

In the application brought by his counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), Ekweremadu claimed that the forfeiture order was granted by the Federal Government in error because the EFCC suppressed information and facts in respect of the properties.

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The detained Senator specifically claimed that the EFCC obtained the forfeiture order for the government fraudulently by concealing the fact that the investigation into the 40 properties began in 2008.

He alleged, among others that the EFCC was fully aware that he was in detention in London when the application for forfeiture of the properties was filed and argued.

The embattled senator stated that the anti-corruption agency purposefully refused to inform the court that he was being held in London and would be unable to fight the forfeiture request.

As a result, the Senator petitioned the court to vacate the forfeiture order and stay proceedings in the case until he resolved his ordeal in the London Court.

Mr. Silvanus Tahir (SAN), counsel to the EFCC, denied that his client was behind Ekweremadu’s ordeal.

He did, however, admit that the EFCC wrote the London Court on a special request, adding that it was standard procedure for anti-corruption agencies to exchange information that would be useful to one another.

Tahir did not object to the request for a stay of proceedings until Ekweremadu fully resolved his case in the London Court, but he did object to the request to set aside the forfeiture order.

The trial Judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, has scheduled a ruling in the matter for January 25, 2023, after hearing arguments from the parties.

On November 4, the Court ordered the interim forfeiture of 40 landed properties linked to Ekweremadu in various parts of the country and outside the country.

The order was issued by Justice Ekwo in response to an ex-parte motion filed and moved by Ibrahim Buba, counsel to the EFCC

After granting the motion, Justice Ekwo directed the anti-graft agency to publish the interim forfeiture order of the property in a national daily within seven days.

The judge ordered that anyone with an interest in the forfeited properties explain why they should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government within 14 days of the publication of the interim forfeiture order.

Ten properties in Enugu are affected, three in the United States of America, two in the United Kingdom, one in Lagos, nine in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, and 15 in the Federal Capital Territory.

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