Ex Gov Sullivan Chime of Enugu State [image above] might be inching towards prosecution as a group, SAVE ENUGU GROUP, through their lawyer, Barr Ray Nnaji is asking the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] through the court to bring Chime to justice.
In a move to forestall their prosecution by anti-graft agencies for the monumental sleaze allegedly uncovered in Enugu State under the immediate past administration, former Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, his two sons, Nnamdi and Tochukwu, Monday, filed a counter affidavit opposing call for their investigation and trial.
Chime kicked against the motion brought by an Enugu-based lawyer, Mr. Ray Nnaji seeking judicial review to compel the EFCC to investigate his actions as governor during his eight years tenure allegedly fraught with misappropriation of public funds and abuse of office.
The petition brought before a Federal High Court sitting in Enugu by the applicant, Mr. Nnaji in Suit No. FH9/EN/94/WS7/2015 had the EFCC as first respondent, Code of Conduct Bureau, second respondent and Sullivan Chime as third respondent.
Others are Chime’s sons, Nnamdi and Tochukwu (4th and 5th respondent), Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, 6th respondent and former Chief of Staff to Chime, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo as 7th respondent.
Addressing newsmen after the matter came up for mention, the applicant, Ray Nnaji revealed that Chime’s sons filed a counter affidavit and notice of preliminary objection insisting that the petition lacks locus standi to maintain the suit.
“I had applied to EFCC to investigate Chime, his children and associates who squandered and cannibalized the state resources and properties by the virtue of the act establishing EFCC.
“EFCC seem to be dilly-dallying which prompted me to apply for judicial review to with Order of Mandamus, compel them to do their public duty and for ICPC to release to Code of Conduct, forms Chime filled before he became governor in 2007 to enable us determine the extent of cannibalization.
“Revenue Mobilization to also release his official salaries and other packages within eight years. This will also include the release of income and expenditure. This should be released to me through EFCC to give a fiat to prosecute Chime and his cohorts,” Nnaji declared.
It would be recalled that Nnaji had petitioned EFCC alleging that Chime’s administration allocated plots of land at the Enugu International Conference Centre, ICC, to his associates, altered the 2012 supplementary budget without the approval of the House and conspired with his associates to allocate public land to themselves within Enugu metropolis.
Chime, his children and the former Chief of Staff had through their counsel asked the court to throw out the application which they faulted as incompetent claiming that the applicant, who is an Enugu-based legal practitioner and an indigene of the state, had no locus standi to institute the action.
The matter was however adjourned to January 26 for hearing.
Eneh Victor Chigozie
