Natasha Akpoti asks LPDC to disbar Imasuen over ‘US fraud indictment’

Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Kogi central lawmaker, has filed a petition before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) seeking to disbar Neda Imasuen, chairman of the senate committee on ethics, privileges, and public petitions.

Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended on March 6 for “gross misconduct” after a dispute over seating arrangements with Senate President Godswill Akpabio. She had previously accused Akpabio of sexual harassment.

The upper chamber also approved that the senator’s office be locked, and she must hand over all senate properties in her possession to the clerk of the national assembly for the duration of the suspension.

The decision was taken following the adoption of the report by the Imasuen-led committee.

In the petition she filed before the LPDC, Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that Imasuen, who represents Edo south, was disbarred in the United States after being indicted by the New York supreme court, appellate division, on May 10, 2010, “for fraud, misappropriation of client’s funds and failure to respond to disciplinary authorities”.

To support her claims, the petitioner tendered to the LPDC a copy of the Justia New York Case Law 2010, with the title “Matter of Imasuen”.

She equally pledged to “lead further evidence from official records of the respondent’s disbarment at the trial of this case”.

She claimed that Imasuen was disbarred by the court following a complaint from Daphne Slyfield, a client who had paid him substantial legal fees but was later abandoned without representation.

“The court found that the respondent had violated multiple professional rules, resulting in the permanent revocation of his legal license in the US,” the petition read.

“That following the respondent’s disbarment, he relocated to Nigeria, continued to present himself as a legal practitioner and pursued a career in politics, eventually securing a seat in the national assembly as the senator representing Edo South senatorial district.

“Despite this disbarment, which was hinged on unethical conduct, the respondent failed to disclose this sanction, both in the legal profession and political space, as a senator, and was eventually made the chairman of the senate committee on ethics, privileges, and public petitions, a position requiring unimpeachable integrity.

“That the respondent did not remotely disclose his disbarment either in his Form EC9 – particulars of personal information submitted to INEC on oath at the time of aspiring for public office.”

Meanwhile, the Kogi central lawmaker has instituted a contempt application against Imasuen and Akpabio over her suspension.

On March 4, the federal high court in Abuja restrained the senate committee on ethics, privileges, and public petitions from conducting disciplinary proceedings against Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Obiora Egwuatu, the presiding judge, gave the order following an ex parte application filed by counsels to the Kogi senator. But the senator was suspended 48 hours after.

On March 19, Egwuatu vacated his March 4 order restraining the senate from suspending the Kogi senator.

On March 25, the judge recused himself from the case while disclosing that his decision was because of an allegation of bias against him by the senate president.

Egwuatu ordered that the case file be transferred to John Tsoho, the chief judge of the federal high court, for reassignment.