Press Release
The arraignment of Barrister Chike Charles Ononye before Justice Mbonu
Nwenyi of the Anambra State High Court, Onitsha, by the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, for offences bordering on stealing and issuance of dud
cheque on Monday, November 3, 2014 could not go on as planned.
In what appeared like a drama, no fewer than 30 lawyers were in court to
demonstrate their solidarity with their colleague and to protest against the
arraignment of the accused, claiming that the case should be settled out of
court.
Ononye’s ordeal started when he was reported to the EFCC through a
petition by one Kenneth Ndejiobi over a case of stealing and issuance of dud
cheques.
According to the complainant, Ononye was engaged sometime in 2006 to
manage his properties situated at Onitsha, Anambra State.
The accused person allegedly stole the sum of one million, forty one
thousand, six hundred naira (N1, 041,600.00), part of the money he collected as
rent over the complainant’s property.
The accused person in a bid to defray the said sum, in the first
instance, issued a UBA cheque in the sum of four hundred and eight thousand
naira (N408,000.00) and another UBA cheque in the sum of six hundred and thirty
three thousand, six hundred naira (N633,600.00) both of which were returned
unpaid due to insufficient funds.
Consequently, the accused person issued another UBA cheque in the sum of
four hundred and eight thousand naira (N408, 000.00) which also suffered the
same fate as the ones earlier presented.
When the case was called, counsel to EFCC, Mainforce Adaka Ekwu urged
the court to take the plea of the accused person adding that the charge against
him is a criminal matter.
However, Barrister A. A. Ononye, who announced his appearance on behalf
of other colleagues for the accused person, pleaded with the court for an
adjournment to enable both parties to settle out of court. He said, as friends
of the court they would do every thing possible to ensure that the matter is
resolved amicably between the two parties.
Ekwu objected vehemently to the request for out of court settlement
describing it as an attempt to frustrate the trial of the accused person. He
said, “Lawyers have no immunity to criminal investigation and prosecution”.
When it appeared to the opposing lawyers that the judge was not
persuaded by their pleas, they changed tactics and objected to the arraignment
on the ground that the charge brought against the accused person was incompetent
and that the court had no jurisdiction to entertain it.
Justice Nwenyi has adjourned the matter to November 20, 2014.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
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