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FG asks court to temporarily forfeit property linked to Ekweremadu

By Joseph Onyekwere, Bridget Chiedu Onochie and Silver Nwokoro
22 March 2018   |   4:21 am
The Federal Government yesterday filed an ex-parte application at the Federal High Court, Abuja seeking the temporary forfeiture of property linked to Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu

‘There is no asset to forfeit, it’s a smear campaign’
The Federal Government yesterday filed an ex-parte application at the Federal High Court, Abuja seeking the temporary forfeiture of property linked to Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.

In the suit, the applicant through its counsel, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), is seeking the order to forfeit the property to the Federal Government.

He is asking for the declaration pending the conclusion of further investigation by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property, and/or possible arraignment of the respondent.

In the motion ex-parte, the assets are divided into two schedules, A and B.

While A contains the property he allegedly declared, B contains a total of 21 choice properties across Abuja, U.S.A, London and Dubai.

According to the application, the respondent has nine undeclared properties in Abuja, two in London, eight in Dubai and three in Florida, USA.

The applicant said on-going investigation revealed that the properties listed in schedule B, also belonged to the respondent when he declared his assets in schedule A.

He added that the properties listed in schedule B were not declared in the Assets Declaration Form of the respondent.

The applicant also held that preliminary investigation by the applicant revealed that a prima facie case of a breach of Code of Conduct for Public Officers had been established against the respondent.

Reacting, Ekweremadu said unequivocally that he declared all his assets with the Code of Conduct Bureau as required by law.

He said the so-called panel sought and obtained his Assets Declaration Forms, but could not look at them, since it was clearly out on a vendetta and smear campaign, championed by Okoi Obono-Obla.
 
He said: “This is clearly part of the politics of 2019, and is further exposing those who colluded with the dismissed former Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Innocent Umezulike and his cronies to steal and doctor his will.”

The statement added that Ekweremadu has, nevertheless, briefed his lawyers and would meet the panel in court. 

The application is supported with a four-paragraph affidavit deposed to by one Yohanna Shankuk, a litigation clerk in the law office of the prosecutor.

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