The last may not have been heard of the judgement by Justice A.M. Liman of the Federal High Court in Benin City, Edo State on April 30, 2015 sentencing Mike Igbinedion, an aide to former Edo state Governor, Lucky Igbinedion to a fine of one million each on three counts or in default, to serve prison sentence of two years on each of the count.
A source disclosed recently that the outcome of the case has been generating much furore on both sides of the divide even as it further said that a section of the media has reportedly accused the judge of “giving a slap on the wrist” of Michael Igbinedion.
As the battle ground may soon shift dramatically to the Court of Appeal, it was gathered that legal experts have strongly advised the business man to challenge the judgement, considering the apparent weaknesses in the prosecution case and the circumstance of his office as personal assistant to the governor, a position that made it inevitable for him to handle cash well over N500,000 allowed by the Money Laundering Act.
Going through the arguments of Michael Igbinedion’s lawyer, the experts argued, it is obvious that the Money Laundering Act was enacted specifically to checkmate activities of narcotic trafficking and may not have considered transactions, such as spending of security votes by the president or governors.
Igbinedion’s lawyer had also submitted that the practice of cash payment was well established in the government and that Michael Igbinedion at that particular time acted as an agent of the government.
A public affairs analyst, Mr. Orobosa Omo-Ojo, JP in an interview said: “The trial and conviction of Michael Igbinedion amounts to jungle justice, when considered against the backdrop that he was never in any position in government, either as Commissioner, Special Adviser or Special Assistant, where money was budgeted or allocated to his office and thus misused or peculated. His only crime is that he followed the laid down financial rules and regulations prescribed for the office of the Personal Assistant to the Governor, as well as implementing the statutory instructions of his Principal, the Governor.
“It is obvious that Mike is a victim of high stakes politics and that he was convicted on flimsy ridiculous counts. The Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) wanted to use the Igbinedion family as scapegoat in their illogical fight against corruption in Nigeria. They were vindictive and acted out a script. That explains why they went for a strict liability offense because they knew they had a bad and seriously flawed case.”
[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560”]
Mr Omo-Ojo, however called on the Nigerian Law Reform Commission to realise that the 1995 and 2004 Money Laundry Act is now out of tune with the reality of 2015 monetary system.