The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, has no case to answer in the Federal Government’s appeal to overturn the Court of Appeal’s decision which cleared him of false assets declaration.
Recall that the Federal Government had in 2015, arraigned
Orubebe for not disclosing a piece of property in Abuja, which the former
minister claimed he had sold in the asset declaration forms submitted to the
Code of Conduct Bureau.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred
against him.
Orubebe said he did not declare the plot of land as his
asset in 2011 because he had sold it to his landlord before he made the last
asset declaration while leaving office.
But the Code of Conduct Tribunal ordered that the property
which the former minister failed to declare, be forfeited to the Federal
Government.
However, Orubebe challenged the tribunal’s judgment at the
Court of Appeal and the appellate court reversed the tribunal’s judgement.
The Federal Government, not satisfied with the appellate
court’s decision, filed an appeal at the apex court.
Justice Emmanuel Agim of the Supreme Court said the appeal
was incompetent.
He said, “The appeal is incompetent. Prior leave of court
was not obtained to file a mixed fact of law. It is hereby struck out. “
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