Court adjourns Akpabio’s accuser’s case till Thursday

An Upper Area Court in Gudu, Abuja on Monday adjourned till Thursday the case initiated by the police against an Abuja-based lawyer, Mr. Leo Ekpenyong, for accusing the immediate past Chairman of the Economic and Financial crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, of compromising the investigation of corruption allegation against a former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio.

The PUNCH had reported on Monday that the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation had indicated to drop the charges preferred against Ekpenyong.

The case was on the list of matters scheduled before the court presided over by Yusuf Gagarku on Monday but it was adjourned along with many others till Thursday after the judge took a break that was meant to be a short one but never returned.

The judge later directed court officials to give fresh dates to litigants and their lawyers who had their cases on the list on Monday.

Ekpenyong’s lawyer and the prosecuting counsel from the AGF’s office, Mr. David Kaswe, were in court on Monday.

Before the judge took a break, Kaswe  had informed him that the case would no longer proceed for hearing, as he had received “a directive”.

The police preferred against Ekpenyong charges of defamation and injurious falsehood before a judge, Yusuf Gagarku, of the Upper Area Court, Gudu, Abuja, on November 5, 2015.

Sources in the Federal Ministry of Justice had confirmed to our correspondent on Sunday that the minister had passed an instruction for the withdrawal of the charges since last year but that the relevant department of the ministry failed to comply with the minister’s directive.

The minister was said to have directed that the charges initiated against Ekpenyong be withdrawn because prosecuting him would not augur well for the spirit of whistle-blower to thrive in the country.