PH
The Code of Conduct Tribunal has denied media reports that the Federal Government has dropped the charge it preferred against a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe.
The Head, Press and Public Relations of the CCT, Ibraheem Al-hassan, said in a statement that the case was ongoing, contrary to reports in some newspapers and online platforms indicating that the charge against the former minister had been dropped.
Al-hassan explained that the Federal Government had only at the last proceedings on March 8, substituted the former charges with a new one.
The CCT’s statement read, “Our attention at the Code of Conduct Tribunal has been drawn to recent publications from some sections of mass media, indicating that the Federal Government has withdrawn charges against former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godsday Peter Orubebe.
“The tribunal is compelled to refute the said publications, specifically contained in ThisDay and Leadership newspapers and online media, dated March 21, 2016.
“The purported withdrawal is said to be based on the case being fundamentally defective.
“Pursuant to the above, the CCT advises that, to the best of our knowledge and based on available records as of the time of this report, the information is misleading, distortive, as such it should be ignored.
“The case of Godsday Peter Orubebe before the CCT in charge N0. CCT/ABJ/02/15 is still ongoing.
“What transpired in court in the last session held on March 8, 2016 was a substitution of the initial charge with a newly filed charge by the prosecution, of which leave was sought from and granted by the tribunal. Thus, there is no withdrawal of the case by the prosecution.”
The Federal Government had on March 8 amended the charges it preferred against Orubebe before the CCT in October last year.
