BREAKING NEWS, Featured, Politics
–
Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State admits that there is an inadvertent mix up in his allegation against Aisha Buhari, wife of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, insisting her name is in William Jefferson’s Bribery Scandal court judgement not Halliburton Bribery Scandal
| By Maureen Chigbo | Jul 25, 2016 @ 01:00 GMT |
THE last has not been heard of Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti’s allegation that Aisha Buhari, wife of President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria was mentioned in the William Jefferson Bribery scandal. William Jefferson, a US congressman, was sentenced in a US court in 2002 and is currently serving his jail term in prison. The battle has been shifted to the legal counsels of both Aisha and Fayose with the later standing firmly by his allegation even though the facts are inadvertently mixed up.
The letter the governor’s counsel, Mike Ozekhome, wrote in reply to Aisha Buhari’s lawyers’ demand that he should retract the statement or face legal action, reiterated that Fayose stands by his statement. But he also corrected the mix–up in the previous letter which linked Aisha Buhari to the Haliburton scandal instead of the William Jefferson Bribery Scandal.
Ozekhome’s letter which is in possession of Realnews drew the attention of Ismaila Alasa and Mary Hilliard, both legal counsels to Aisha Buhari that: “In our letter dated 8th July, 2016, written to your goodselves on behalf of our client, His Excellency, Dr. Peter AyodeJe Fayose, we wrote that our client maintains the fact that your client, Mrs Aisha Buhari, was involved “in the Halliburton scandal”, where she “was specifically mentioned in the judgement referred to (as Exhibits 26 – 87 … “
“Our client has just informed us that there has been an inadvertent error on his part, in mixing up the “Halliburton scandal” with the “Williams Jefferson Bribery Scandal”, for which the “said Williams Jefferson is currently serving a jail term in the US”. Our client informs us that he reiterates that your client was involved in the “Williams Jefferson Bribery Scandal”, wherein her name was mentioned, as distinct from the “Halliburton Scandal”, since the two cases are quite different and very unrelated.
“Our client states that aside his inadvertent mix up of the two scandals, he stands by the earlier contents of our letter to your goodselves written on his clear mandate and instructions. We urge you to take particular note of the above correction effected by our client.”
Ozekhome’s letter which was entitled: “Re: Demand For Unqualified Retraction Of Alleged False Statement Purportedly Published By His Excellency, Dr. Ayodele Fayose, Governor of Ekiti State, In Various Media On The 20th June, 2016 And Subsequent Dates, Regarding Your Client, Her Excellency, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, The Wife Of President Muhammed Buhari, GCFR: Our Client’s Rejection Of: Errata” was a reply to that of the law firm of Ekpere and Co representing Aisha Buhari.
Buhari’s letter dated June 22, 2016, and signed by Alasa and Hilliard, 2016 was addressed to Fayose. The letter, which is also in possession of Realnews, states “Our client has referred to us the statement made by you and published on the 20th June, 2016, (and other subsequent days) concerning and pertaining to her person for necessary action. The said statement which was caused by you and your agents to be widely circulated and published in various media platforms: print, electronic and on-line such as www.premiumtimesng.com on 20th June, 2016, contains very wild, unfounded and false allegations and imputations against the person of our client.
“Specifically, in the said Statement credited to you and signed by your Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, you, inter alia, falsely stated-as follows: ‘Even the President cannot claim to be an angel… The estate he built in Abuja is known to us. His wife was indicted over the Halliburton Scandal (sic). When that American, Jefferson, was being sentenced, the President’s wife was mentioned as having wired $170,000 to Jefferson. Her name was on page 25 of the sentencing of Jefferson. We can serialise the judgment for people to see and read.’
“To further achieve your unwholesome goal of demeaning the person of our client and destroying her credit, one Lere Olayinka, your agent and Special Adviser on New Media circulated links to ‘court document’ detailing the purported mention of our client in the scandal
“All these actions of yours and your agents in respect of our client, who is a woman of honour, are deliberately orchestrated to injure the credit of our client and bring her into disrepute and diminish her status in the eyes of members of the public. The action is not only libellous of our client but highly irresponsible considering the exalted office you occupy at present.
“In the circumstance, we hereby demand from you and your named agents herein above mentioned, an immediate and unqualified retraction of the Statement concerning her as contained in your publication under reference. Further, you are, to publish an unreserved and equally widely circulated public apology on the different media platforms as earlier utilized by you in defaming our client.
“TAKE NOTICE that unless you and your agents meet our humble demands within 5 (five) working days of the receipt of this letter, we’ shall take all necessary steps within the contemplation of the law to seek redress for our client,” the letter stated.
Aisha Buhari’s counsel also sent the letter to Idowu Adelusi, chief press secretary to the governor of Ekiti State, Lere Olayinka, special adviser on NewMedia to the governor of Ekiti State and the Publisher of Premium Times.
However, the first reply of Ozekhome to Aisha Buhari’s counsel’s letter firmly rejected that Fayose has defamed the first lady.
In its justification of Fayose’s statement, Ozekhome wrote that his client “states and reaffirms categorically that the statement he made as regards the involvement of Mrs. Aisha Buhari, the wife of President Buhari, in the Halliburton scandal, is correct and justified in law, having regards to a court judgment convicting one Mr. Williams Jefferson for bribery in the Halliburton case.”
The letter stated that the in judgement of the Jefferson, the name of the President’s wife featured conspicuously. “At page 22 of the said judgment delivered by the United State District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria Division, USA, in criminal No 1: 07CR209, the said Mr. Williams Jefferson was sentenced at 9.00 am on November 13, 2009 by Mark D. Lytle. Your client, Mrs. Aisha Buhari was specifically mentioned in the judgment. The Judge referred to Exhibits 36 – 87 in the following words, for .clarification:
“See also “Government Exhibits 36 – 87 (6/26/02)
$170,000.00 wire transfer from account .in Nigeria in the name of Aisha Buhari to an account in the name of ANJ Group, LCC, identifying “Williams Jefferson”, as beneficiary …. Given the age of the defendant, the severity of the sentence calculated by the probation office, the defendant’s frequent travel overseas and unexplained wire transfers from overseas locations to financial accounts used by the defendant, the defendant cannot rebut the presumption at sentencing that he is a risk of flight.”
According to the letter, “The said Williams Jefferson is currently serving a jail term in the US and to the best of our client’s knowledge, this judgment has not been challenged, ‘or set aside by any Appellate court of law anywhere in the world.
“The statement of His Excellency,’ our client, is therefore correct and justified, same having been factually premised on an existing court judgment above referred to,” Ozekhome wrote.
He also the attention of counsels to Aisha Buhari that “Section 308 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as altered, on the immunity enjoyed by our client from” civil or ‘criminal proceedings for the period that he occupies the office of the Governor of Ekiti State.
“You may therefore advise your client to wait until after 16th October, 2018, when our client’s tenure expires. When that happens, we shall join issues with your client in a competent court of law, in the event that ‘your client does not have a change, of heart. Find attached herewith, for your calm reflection, a copy of your letter under reference.
“We urge you to advise her Excellency, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, accordingly.
“To say more at this stage will be otiose,” Ozekhome wrote.
This notwithstanding, Realnews also wrote the United States Public Affairs Office in Lagos requesting for information on the sentencing of William Jefferson and the mention of Aisha Buhari’s name in the court exhibit.
Frank Sellin, acting Public Affairs Officer, United States Consulate General, Lagos, replied stating: “Thank you for your inquiry. We have no information on this matter.”
Whatever, the five days given to Fasoye to retract and apologise has elapsed. Nigerians are eagerly waiting for the legal battle to begin in earnest to unravel the truth about the allegation and denial by Governor Fayose and Aisha Buhari.
|
Tags:
