An Abuja High Court, Wednesday, held that the erstwhile Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Capital Market and Other Institutions, Herman Hembe and his deputy, Chris Ifeanyi Azubogu, has a case to answer regarding their alleged complicity in a N44million bribery scandal.
Trial Justice Abubakar Sadiq Umar okayed the two lawmakers for prosecution after he declined to quash any of the 2-count charge that was preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The judge maintained that having gone through the substantive charge vis-à-vis the accompanying proof of evidence before the court, he was satisfied that the anti-graft agency successfully established a prima-facie case against the accused persons.
Consequently, he dismissed two separate preliminary objections that sought to insulate the two embattled lawmakers from prosecution, even as the court yesterday fixed July 18 and 19 to commence accelerated hearing on the substantive allegations against them.
Besides, Justice Umar ordered the EFCC to produce its witnesses before the court on the next adjourned date.
The prosecuting agency had in the charge it entered in court, alleged that its investigations revealed that the accused persons sought gratification from the Security and Exchange Commission, SEC, with a view to compromising standard in the probe of alleged sharp practices in the Nigerian Capital Market.
Source: Vanguard/Ikechukwu Nnochiri
