Enugu Govt opposes bail application of Barrister Rick Chukwu

BY SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Enugu State Government on Wednesday opposed the bail application of a legal practitioner, Rick Chukwu.

Chukwu is facing three count charges of forgery, false information, and intention to defraud late Mr Okwidili Aneke of his property, which his client Mr Victor Ekwo was authorised to manage.

At the resumed hearing in Enugu on Wednesday ,counsel to the State government, Mrs Chioma Chukwudi, argued that the bail application was opposed because of Chukwu’s failure to deposit his international passport with the court as ordered by the court.

Chukwdi warned that granting the defendant bail might be risky as there was currently no bond joining the court and the defendant.

She described as false the claim that Chukwu’s international passport is with the magistrate court, hinting that the defendant only submitted a photocopied of his National Identification Number (NIN).

Chukwudi maintained that the court had the jurisdiction to prosecute the matter, stressing that the Attorney-General (AG) is constitutionally empowered to assign any case to any court he or she deems fit.

However, the counsel to the defendant, Mr Clinton Oguejiofor, said the continuation of the case would amount to abuse of the judicial process, as the matter was still pending before the Enugu North Magistrate court.

When asked if he was aware that the case had been withdrawn, Oguejiofor revealed that the matter was withdrawn from the magistrate court in a hurry to enable the AG prosecute his client at the high court.

He pointed out that his client was enjoying the bail granted to him by the magistrate court, which inlude submitting his international passport, and wondered where Chukwu would get another international passport.

In the brief ruling, Justice R.N. Orji said the court would rule on the bail application on Sept. 29, as well as motion challenging the jurisdiction of the court to prosecute the matter.

Justice Orji stressed that the defendant would be properly arriagned after the motion challenging its jurisdiction was settled.

Editor

Jude Ossai (JP) a veteran journalist is a National Diploma holder in Mass Communication from Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State. He also studied at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu and Imo State University, Owerri for his first and second degrees in Mass Communication, respectively. He writes extensively on politics, crime, corruption, climate change, healthcare, human rights, social justice, among others.