A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Wuse zone 2 area of Abuja, presided over by Chief Magistrate Mabel Bello, Monday, adjourned a case of false evidence and injurious falsehood against disbarred Lagos lawyer, Emeka Ugwuonye to the 6th of July, 2016.
The adjournment was at the instance of Mr. Ugwuonye, who could not produce a lawyer to defend him in Court; but opted to defend himself; a proposal that was turned down by the presiding Chief Magistrate.
The court which frowned at what appeared like a delay tactics employed by Mr. Ugwuonye in the matter, awarded ten thousand Naira (N10,000.00) cost against him for wasting the time of the Court.
Earlier in the day, the Police Prosecutor, E. O. Ochai served the accused, Ugwuonye, with evidence, including inciting posts on his Facebook group, The Due Process Advocates, electronic evidence/broadcast, his statement to the Police and a copy of the letter from the Supreme Court, addressed to Mr. Ugwuonye, notifying him that his name has been struck off the roll of legal practitioners in Nigeria, a development that evidently ruffled him.
Relying on the evidence and the apex court’s decision on the accused, the Prosecutor told the court that Mr. Ugwuonye’s integrity is in doubt, urging it not to treat him as a lawyer; an argument that was allowed by the presiding chief magistrate, who then ordered Mr. Ugwuonye to produce a lawyer to defend him on the next adjourned date.
It would be recalled that Mr. Ugwuonye was first arraigned alongside two Abuja-based lawyers, Nsikak Udoh and Farouk Khamagam before the Chief Magistrate Court for their alleged criminal roles in the disappearance of missing Abuja woman, Charity Aiyedogbon.
Emeka Ugwuonye is charged with false evidence and injurious falsehood, contrary to sections: 158 and 393 of the Penal Code; while the other two lawyers were charged with criminal conspiracy, forgery, impersonation, giving false information with intent to mislead a public servant contrary to sections 97, 364, 179, and 178 of the Penal Code.
Ugwuonye is on court bail in the sum of five million Naira (N5m), with a surety, a Civil Servant that earns not less than three hundred thousand Naira monthly, with a traceable address in the Federal capital territory.
Ugwuonye, who had claimed in the exhibits tendered before the court, to have an overwhelming evidence that the missing woman, Charity Aiyedogbon was dead, and that she was killed by her estranged husband, David Aiyedogbon, is expected to show the evidence before the Court.
His trouble may have started when, in different posts on his Facebook group, Due Process Advocates- DPA, he said:
“I now have overwhelming evidence that Mr. David Aiyedogbon killed his wife, Chacha. David has an idea of the kind of evidence at my disposal.”
Destiny Ugorji/GEE
No comments:
Post a Comment