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Omatseye’s lawyer appeals ruling, says offence doesn’t exist in law

Lawyer to former Director General (DG) of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Raymond Temisan Omatseye, have appealed the five years sentence ...
 Raymond Omatseye

Raymond Omatseye

Lawyer to former Director General (DG) of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Raymond Temisan Omatseye, have appealed the five years sentence clamped on their client by Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia.

Citing N2.5 million approval above his threshold, Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos had sentenced Omatseye to five years imprisonment without option of fine. She also sacked him from NIMASA.

But arguing that his client is being persecuted and not prosecuted, his lawyer, Edoka Onyeke, pointed out that though contract splitting exist in law, approval above threshold does not exist.

Ofili-Ajumogobia had in delivering the judgment noted that the embattled former DG of NIMASA, who is facing a 27-count charge bordering on bid rigging and contract splitting worth N271 million while he was the head of the maritime regulatory agency is on suspension.

Edoka noted that the judge who had been transferred to the Kwara State jurisdiction threw out a January 23, 2013 letter from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) which cleared Omatseye of any wrongdoing while in the agency.

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