A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State, Monday, adjourned hearing on the bench warrant issued against four officials of Akwa Ibom State government to April 17, an application praying the court to set aside the warrant.
The application was filed by Mike Ozekhome (SAN) in the court presided over by Justice Rilwan Aikawa on behalf of Uwemedimo Nwoko, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Akwa Ibom State and three other officials.
On March 1, 2019, Justice Aikawa granted a bench warrant for the arrest of Nwoko, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice; Nsikan Nkan, the state Commissioner of Finance; Mfon Udomah, the state Accountant-General, and Margaret Ukpe, a cashier of the state government.
Dr. Charles Mekwunye, counsel to Akwa Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel, also brought an application challenging the jurisdiction of the court to proceed with the entertainment of the charge.
However, Paul Usoro equally brought an application which is a motion on notice, seeking for an order of court, directing the complainant to serve him a summarised witness statement of evidence of those listed to give evidence in the matter.
The applications are a Motion on Notice brought by soro, pursuant to Section 36(6)(B)(D) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 379(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), seeking an order of the court directing the complainant to serve on him a summarised witness statement of evidence of those listed to give evidence on the matter.
Usoro was thereafter re-arraigned before Justice Aikawa on March 1, 2019.
He pleaded not guilty and had consistently maintained that the funds received from the state government were his professional fees.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had slammed a N1.4 billion money laundering charge against the NBA President and others before Justice Muslim Hassan, who later recused himself from the matter on account of being a former prosecutor with the anti-graft agency.
