May 27, (THEWILL) – The supreme court has dismissed an appeal filed by former Governor of Rivers State and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, seeking to stop his probe in an alleged N96 billion fraud.
The apex court dismissed the appeal on the grounds that it lacks merit as Amaechi is neither on trial nor indicted for the alleged offence.
Nyesom Wike, Rivers state governor, had set up a seven-man panel to probe Amaechi over alleged withdrawal of N96 billion from the state’s treasury during his tenure as governor.
The listed valuable assets are Omoku Gas Turbine, Afam Gas Turbine, Trans Amadi Gas Turbine, Eleme Gas Turbine, Olympia Hotel, and the contract award for the execution of the Mono Rail Project.
Amaechi, who is currently in the presidential race, prayed the apex court to prohibit Wike from investigating his eight-year tenure as the executive governor of the state.
The former governor represented by Lateef Fagbemi, predicated his opposition to the probe on the ground that it was aimed at witch-hunting him, embarrassing him, humiliating him and to as well disgrace him in view of his political differences with his successor
But the Rivers State lawyer, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), had maintained that the inquiry was to unravel how state resources were spent.
However, delivering judgement on Friday, a seven-member apex court panel dismissed the appeal.
The apex court, in a unanimous judgement by a five-man panel of Justices, said it found no reason to stop the Rivers State government from probing the erstwhile governor over his alleged involvement in the fraudulent sales of valued assets belonging to the state.
Justice Adamu Jauro, who read the lead judgement, held that Amaechi’s appeal lacked merit and accordingly dismissed it.
It ordered the Appellant to go and face the Commission of Inquiry that was set up by the Rivers state government to investigate his 8-year tenure as governor of the state.
The apex court went ahead and affirmed the judgements of both the High Court of Rivers State and that of the Court of Appeal which had earlier dismissed Amaechi’s case for want of merit.
The court also asked the former minister to pay the respondents N1 million.
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