Orubebe to Know Fate July 19 as INEC Presents Ogah Certificate of Return in Abia State

 
The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) has postponed the judgment earlier scheduled for June 30 (today) in the trial of former Niger-Delta Minister, Godsday Orubebe for false asset declaration.
The judgment will now be delivered on July 19 when the tribunal revisits the case. This development was occasioned by the absence of the tribunal Chairman, Danladi Umar, who is said to have travelled out of Abuja, according to The Nation.
The tribunal chose the date on June 2 this year after Orubebe concluded his defence having called two witnesses, including himself.
It will be recalled that Orubebe was arraigned on November 8, 2015 on a four-count charge of false asset declaration and bribery by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, although the charge was later reduced to one.
He pleaded not guilty to the amended charge on March 8 when he was re-arraigned.
Meanwhile, a former Governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim has been ordered to defend himself against the charges of money laundering brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the ‎Federal High Court in Abuja gave the order in a ruling on Thursday on the no-case submission made for Ohakim by his defence team – Awa Kalu (SAN) and Chris Uche (SAN), The Nation reports.







While delivering the ruling, Justice Ademola held that the prosecution has established, through its six witnesses, a prima facie case against Ohakim to warrant his being called upon to enter defence.
Ohakim had on July 8, 2015 pleaded not guilty on a three-count charge of money laundering.

Uche Ogah receiving certificate of return

In other news, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has issued a Certificate of Return to Mr. Uche Ogah as the duly elected governor of Abia State.
This comes after a Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja on Tuesday annulled the election of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and ordered that Sampson Ogah, who came second in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Gubernatorial primaries be sworn in as substantive governor.
Mr. Ikpeazu had been found guilty of tax evasion by the court and declared unqualified to have contested the 2015 governorship election in the state.
Hence INEC on Thursday complied with the directive and presented a Certificate of return to the new governor, Mr. Sampson Uche Ogah, who is the owner of Masters Energy Group.