N45b scam: Arrest me if you can, Attah dares EFCC
- Details
- Category: Law, Crime & Judiciary
- Published on Friday, 23 July 2010 07:53
- Written by Compass
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Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, yesterday dared the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest him, saying that he had committed no offence that could warrant his arrest, detention or prosecution.
He also dissociated himself from some of the allegations levelled against the former governor of Delta State.
The former governor, who spoke through his counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), said that after about two years of investigation, the commission gave him a clean bill of health.
Ozekhome, was reacting to a comment by an Abuja based legal practitioner, Mr. Kayode Ajulo, that the EFCC should not have released Attah on bail, but should have charged him to court after the conclusion of investigation.
But the Senior Advocate disagreed with Ajulo on the ground that the former governor, until recently has never been invited, summoned or cautioned by any security agency in the country.
Ozekhome said: “It is the EFCC that has the onus to prove his guilt if it finds anything incriminating against him. They have not. The EFCC should be lauded and encouraged for wearing a human face against corruption within the confines of the rule of law without compromising its efficiency and effectiveness.
“There is no basis for comparing Attah’s mere invitation by EFCC to clarify some issues with the case of Ibori, who had undergone a trial, the charges of which were quashed by a competent court of law.
“Obong Attah, before now, has never been invited, summoned, queried, interrogated, investigated, cautioned or indicted by the EFCC or any other security agency in the country for that matter. Consequently, the lie flies in the face to suggest most unfairly that Attah has been under EFCC investigation for two years and should have been promptly charged to court!
