The Global Society for Anti-Corruption (GSAC) has decried the arrest and detention of a female client, Patience Ede, allegedly by a state counsel assigned to defend her matter in court in Enugu State.
Edeh had suffered battering and psychological torture in the hands of her husband that allegedly led to the loss of pregnancy.
Last Thursday however, the case which had suffered a series of adjournments at the magistrate’s court took another twist when the poor woman sighted her estranged husband, Evidence Nwachukwu, allegedly discussing with her counsel, Nkechi Egbula, and attempted to take their picture.
The development was said to have angered the state counsel, who ordered the police to arrest and detain her. Edeh was allegedly released on bail after a written apology and bail fee.
Decrying the development on Tuesday, President of GSAC, Frank Ezeona, urged the state governor, Peter Mbah, to order investigation into the matter which he said was a clear case of intimidation to cover and deny the poor woman of justice.
Ezeona, who promised that the group would stand by the woman to ensure that she gets justice from the case, insisted that it was unfair for a state counsel paid by the state government to allegedly hobnob with a ‘suspect”, standing trial in an offence of such magnitude.
“GSAC calls on Enugu state government to sanction the bad eggs in the ministry of justice and investigate allegations against state counsel who detained a woman she was representing in court; just because the woman questioned her involvement in unprofessional relationship with her estranged husband in the court premises after they had a day in court.
“It is quite disturbing that a state Counsel will descend so low to intimidate a poor woman who the state paid her to prosecute her case in court. It is uncalled for and an abuse of position and this is giving Enugu state a bad name, especially when Enugu state governor is doing everything to bring civility in the state,” he stated.
Ezeona added that investigating the state counsel would give the government opportunity “to look into the allegations raised by the woman about the involvement of some people at the department of Public Prosecution (DPP) in trying to cover up the case of being influenced into apportioning light charges in criminal matters.”
He added: “The state cannot thrive well where justice is thwarted because of money. It is very a criminal offence for people in the justice Ministry to amend cases by giving light charges because suspects paid money for it thereby thwarting the cause of justice.
“The evidence on ground is that the said woman complained to the police that the husband beat her up that resulted in the loss of pregnancy and was admitted at the Parklane hospital and at the point of death. If it is so, how can such a heinous crime be given a light charge or be tried in a magistrate court when it was almost a case of an attempted murder? I don’t see why a magistrate court should entertain the case if there is no compromise.
“From investigation and physical evidence, the husband of this poor woman had on several occasions given her bodily injuries with machetes and on one occasion caused her to lose her baby and left her to die. It is domestic violence and Enugu State government is supposed to protect this woman.”
