AN appeal filed by an All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant, Rotimi Amaechi, to set aside the decision of a probe done by the Rivers State government over an alleged N96 billion fraud has been dismissed by the Supreme Court.
In a judgment delivered today, the apex court dismissed the appeal on the grounds that the issue of not being given a fair hearing did not arise as no one was on trial.
The unanimous judgment by a five-man panel of justices, prepared by Justice Emmanuel Augie was read by Justice Adamu Jairo.
Amaechi had prayed the apex court to set aside the decision of the probe panel which indicted him.
The former governor predicated his opposition to probe on the grounds that it was aimed at embarrassing and humiliating him due to his political differences with his successor.
The apex court affirmed the judgments of both the High Court of Rivers State and the Court of Appeal, which had earlier dismissed Amaechi’s case for want of merit.
The court also ordered Amaechi to pay the sum of N1 million to Wike as cost.
Wike had mandated the Rivers State Attorney-General to commence legal proceedings against Amaechi, former military administrator of Rivers State, Anthony Ukpo and some other former political office holders over N96 billion allegedly misappropriated in the sale of state assets.
This was after the State Executive Council had adopted the probe panel report, which stated, among other things, that Amaechi, along with his former commissioners for finance and power, Chamberlain Peterside and Augustine Nwokocha, respectively, had questions to answer.
The listed valuable assets are Omoku Gas Turbine, Afam Gas Turbine, Trans Amadi Gas Turbine, Eleme Gas Turbine, Olympia Hotel, and the award of contract for the execution of the monorail project.
A reporter with the ICIR
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