SAN asks police to probe ‘malicious’ publication alleging bribery in OPL 245 trial

Olalekan Ojo, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has asked the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to investigate a publication which accused Wole Olanipekun, former chairman of the Body of Benchers, and Mohammed Bello Adoke, former attorney-general of the federation, of compromising the OPL 245 trial.

In a ruling delivered on March 28, Abubakar Kutigi, judge of an FCT high court, upheld the no-case submission of the defendants in the matter and dismissed the charges.

The judge also chided the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for wasting four years on the trial without providing evidence.

After the ruling, reports surfaced online alleging that the commission had sacked its prosecutor for collecting bribes from Adoke and Olanipekun, who was the lead counsel representing Aliyu Abubakar, the second defendant.

TheCable had previously reported that an EFCC source said the prosecutor was not sacked — but was out of contract.

The EFCC also denied the report alleging bribery by parties in the suit. Dele Oyewale, spokesperson of the anti-graft agency, had asked the public to ignore “effusions of mischief makers on the matter”.

Reacting in a statement issued on Thursday, Ojo, who is in the legal team of the second defendant, described the publication as “false” and “malicious”.

He said contrary to the publication’s content, Olanipekun did not represent Adoke as a counsel in the case.

“It is also worthy of emphasis, that out of the 40 counts filed against all the defendants, only one count related to our client, and which said count, with all sense of modesty was weak and bound to fail, for diverse reasons,” the lawyer said.

“Out of the ten witnesses who testified for the prosecution, nine of them stated in clear terms that they did not know our client. Thus, we did not bother to cross-examine them. 

“The investigating police officer who only referred to our client confirmed under cross-examination that the N300 million given by our client (the 2nd defendant) to Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN was a refund of the purchase price for a failed property transaction, and not bribe. 

“With the nature of the case presented against our client, there was/is absolutely no basis whatsoever for the cultivation of any thought to compromise the prosecutor or any other person for that matter. 

“It has never been in the character of Chief Wole Olanipekun, OFR, CFR, SAN to compromise any person for any purpose, including, when it relates to administration of justice.

Ojo said the publication was meant to malign Olanipekun.

“We are not unaware that envy and malice are part of the driving and ulterior forces propelling and motivating the wicked authors of this publication to descend this dirty and low,” the statement reads.

“Without prejudice to any other action or step which our leader may deem fit to take in the circumstances, we hereby call on the Nigeria police force to investigate this sordid and criminal publication, make their findings public, and apply the full force of the law accordingly. 

“From the summary of the case presented herein, it is clear that neither the lazy authors of the odious publication nor their sponsors cared to either source or investigate the truth of the matter or read the well-considered ruling of the court, but were only interested in maligning the character and reputation of the learned Silk. They mischievously brought his name to their publication so that it could attract traction and for clout chasing.