EMEKA Ugwuonye, a disbarred Lagos lawyer, was on Monday, July 9, arraigned before Magistrate Court 9, Wuse, Abuja, presided over by Abdulaziz Omezia on a nine-count charge of obstruction and interference with Police investigation, offensive publications among other seven charges.

The charge said in part: “extortion by threat of accusation, an offence punishable by death, injurious falsehood, defamation, giving false information, with intent to mislead public servant, obstructing public servant in discharge of his duty, use of insulting or abusive language, influencing course of justice, fabricating false evidence, inciting disturbance, failing to assist public servant when bound by law  to assist and influencing course of justice contrary to sections 295, 393, 392, 140, 148, 399, 182, 158, 114, 150 and 182 of the Penal Code.”

Some other charges preferred against him are within the jurisdiction of the High Court and would be appropriately filed when High courts resume from holidays.

When the charges were read out to him in court on Monday, he pleaded not guilty. The matter was adjourned to August 23, 2018. He was, however, granted bail under stringent conditions, including two Civil Servants not below grade level 12, among other requirements. As at the time of filing this report, he was yet to fulfil the bail conditions.

Ugwuonye was arrested last Friday by men of the FCT Police command in Abuja over his alleged infamous role in the obstruction of investigations into the murder of Charity Aiyedogbon, a business woman based in Abuja.

His arrest followed a petition against him over offensive publications and alleged obstruction of Police investigations in the case of the late Charity Aiyedogbon.

The petition, addressed to the commissioner of Police, FCT command, Abuja, written by Juris Associates, signed by Uzoma Nnona, Esq, captioned “Complaint of Offensive Publications and Distortion of facts amounting to Interference with ongoing Police investigation into the death of Mrs. Charity Aiyedogbon, against Mr. Emeka Ugwuonye,” dated June 25, 2018, urged the Police to investigate Ugwuonye over his recent online posts on the late Aiyedogbon’s case.

– Jul. 10, 2018 @ 19:29 GMT |