BREAKING: Court Strikes Out Forgery Charges Against Alleged PFIPC DG Adeyemi
The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out an eight-count forgery charge against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who had presented himself as the Director-General of the alleged Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).
Justice Mohammed Umar struck out the charge on Monday following an application by the Federal Government to discontinue the proceedings.
The government was represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, who informed the court that the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) had reviewed the case file and identified some legal shortcomings that necessitated the withdrawal of the charge.
Oyedepo explained that the government intended to transfer the case to the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for a fresh arraignment of the defendant.
He further argued that the alleged forged documents involved in the case fell within the jurisdiction of the FCT High Court rather than the Federal High Court.
The application to strike out the charge was not opposed by Adeyemi’s lawyer, Ibrahim Angulu, SAN.
The case was initially instituted by the police before the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation took over the prosecution at the previous court sitting.
Adeyemi had been in detention since July 14, following his arrest on the strength of a bench warrant issued by the court. He was arraigned on allegations involving forgery, fraud and impersonation, to which he pleaded not guilty.
Following his plea, the court ordered that he be remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre pending further proceedings.
The defendant had also applied for bail, citing a contagious illness that he said required urgent medical attention from his doctors. However, the prosecution opposed the application, insisting that the government had adequate medical facilities to address his health needs.
The scheduled hearing of the bail application could not proceed following the withdrawal of the charge.
Among those listed as potential prosecution witnesses were the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Paul Emmanuel; Jeremiah Imoukhede; and Ituah Sylvester.
Other proposed witnesses included Akimbo Shola and Adamu Balongu, civil servants in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, as well as a Deputy Superintendent of Police.
The withdrawal of the charge clears the way for the Federal Government to pursue a fresh prosecution before the FCT High Court, as indicated by the prosecution in court.
