JUSTICE Eze Njemanze of the Imo State High Court, Owerri, on Friday fixed October 14 for ruling on the application filed by a former presiding judge of Owerri Federal Court of Appeal, Justice Ladan Tsamiya, challenging the decision of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission to arraign him for allegedly demanding N200m bribe from a politician to influence a case before him.

Counsel to the embattled jurist, David Adegbe, told the court that the anti-graft agency had no legal right to arraign his client after the National Industry Court had declared as null and void his dismissal as a judge by the National Judicial Council.

Adegbe contended that allowing ICPC to arraign Tsamiya on the matter when there was a subsisting court judgment reinstating his client was making a mockery of the judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction which had not been set aside by higher court or lower court.

Calling on the court to quash the ICPC’s arraignment notice against his client, Adegbe, said that the judgment of the National Industry Court had vindicated his client.

But counsel to the ICPC, George Lawan, argued that since the NJC had not reinstated Tsamiya, the accused jurist could be arraign.

Lawan, said that in the eyes of the law, the embattled jurist was not a judge.

He urged the court to strike out the application so that the arraignment of the accused could commence.

The presiding judge after listening to both parties fixed October 14 for ruling on the application filed by the defence counsel. The embattled jurist was in court on Friday for the first time. – Punch

– July 5, 2019 @ 14:27 GMT |