Former chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Port
Authority (NPA), Olabode George, on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to set
aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed the judgment of a
Lagos State High Court in which he was convicted for contracts splitting and
inflation in 2009.
Authority (NPA), Olabode George, on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to set
aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed the judgment of a
Lagos State High Court in which he was convicted for contracts splitting and
inflation in 2009.
George, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
alongside five others were convicted and have since served their two-jail terms
but the six ex-convicts still believe there was miscarriage of judgment and,
therefore, approached the highest court in the land to declare them innocent of
the crime they were convicted of.
alongside five others were convicted and have since served their two-jail terms
but the six ex-convicts still believe there was miscarriage of judgment and,
therefore, approached the highest court in the land to declare them innocent of
the crime they were convicted of.
Other ex-convicts in the matter include Aminu Dabo,. O. Abidoye,
Alh. Abdullahi Aminu Tafida, Zanna Maideribi and Sule Aliyu as 2nd to 6th
appellants respectively.
Alh. Abdullahi Aminu Tafida, Zanna Maideribi and Sule Aliyu as 2nd to 6th
appellants respectively.
When the matter came up for hearing, the six through their
respective lawyers, asked Justice Tanko Mohammed-led five-man penal of the apex
court justices to grant them extension of time within which to file regularise
their appeals having filed out of time.
respective lawyers, asked Justice Tanko Mohammed-led five-man penal of the apex
court justices to grant them extension of time within which to file regularise
their appeals having filed out of time.
The court granted the applications and adjourned the matter to
September 26, 2013 to allow parties time to file applications for consolidation
of the six different appeals, as well as hear the matter.
September 26, 2013 to allow parties time to file applications for consolidation
of the six different appeals, as well as hear the matter.
On the grounds of appeal, George is asking the apex court to
review and upturn the judgment of the trial court, which sentenced him to two
years jail term.
review and upturn the judgment of the trial court, which sentenced him to two
years jail term.
George is contending that the appellate court erred in law when
it failed to upturn the jail term passed on him by the trial court, even as he
is contesting that the prosecution counsel, Festus Keyamo, did not get a fiat
to prosecute him.
it failed to upturn the jail term passed on him by the trial court, even as he
is contesting that the prosecution counsel, Festus Keyamo, did not get a fiat
to prosecute him.
He also alleged said the trial court erred in law when it
convicted him for not obeying administrative directive, which had been in
existence before he came on board of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, as
chairman.
convicted him for not obeying administrative directive, which had been in
existence before he came on board of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, as
chairman.
Source: Daily Independent
