- Appeal court has ordered former chief justice Innocent Umezulike to forfeit N50million to the federal government
- The court also dismissed the appeal filed by Umezulike against EFCC
- He had appealed the order of Justice A. M Liman of the Federal High Court, Enugu in March 2017 forfeiting N50million to the government
The Court of Appeal, Enugu division, has ordered that the former Chief Justice of Enugu state, Justuce Innocent Umezulike forfeits the sum of fifty million naira (N50Million) to the federal government.
NAIJ.com gathered that in the judgement delivered on Thursday, December 7, the court dismissed an appeal filed against the EFCC by the former Chief Judge, challenging the interim forfeiture of the sum in his Zenith Bank account.
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The court presided over by Justice Ogunwumiju, while dismissing the appeal filed by the former CJ, upheld the argument of Wahab Shittu in favour of EFCC.
Umezulike had appealed the order of Justice A. M Liman of the Federal High Court, Enugu in March 2017 forfeiting the fund, following EFCC's application seeking the freezing, seizure and forfeiture of properties linked to the former CJ.
In related development, the Federal High Court, Lagos division has on Tuesday, December 5 granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) temporary forfeiture of two properties allegedly belonging to the former petroleum minister, Alison-Madueke.
The judgment came months after the federal government was granted permanent forfeiture of multi-billion naira properties and funds allegedly embezzled by the former petroleum minister.
The properties temporarily forfeited are Penthouse 21 building 5, Block C, 11th floor (Bella Vista Estate) Banana Island, Ikoyi, and Penthouse 22, Block B (Admiralty Estate) also in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The judge, Mojisola Olatoregun, ruled that the properties be forfeited to the federal government pending the time the EFCC concludes its investigation.
The EFCC counsel, Anselm Ozioko, asked the court to prohibit any disposal, conveyance, mortgage, lease or sale of the properties and authorise the commission to appoint a competent person or firm to manage them.
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The EFCC, through its investigator, Abdulrasheed Bawa, said that the two properties were sold at sold at $3.570 million and $1.194 million, and owned by Sequoyah Properties Limited and Schillenburg LLC.
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had previously reported that the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) arrested a retired Appeal Court judge, Justice Mohammed Tsamiya, for alleged demand of bribe in exchange for a favourable judgement in a National Assembly election that is pending before the Imo state judicial division of the Court of Appeal
Watch as EFCC Traces These Properties to Diezani Alison-Madueke- on NAIJ.com TV
Source: Naija.ng