A Federal High Court in Lagos, yesterday, discharged a former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Intercontinental Bank Plc (now Access bank), Dr Erastus Akingbola over a 26 -count amended charges preferred against him by the Federal Government. This was even as it berated the prosecution team for professional incompetence.
In making this pronouncement, Justice Charles Archibong, termed the way the prosecution handled the case as “serious and professional incompetence” on the part of a team that comprise five Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs).
He further directed the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke (SAN), to disband, sack and debrief the present prosecution team, comprising five SANs and their respective firms from handling the matter for serious abuse of court processes and incompetence in their prosecution of the charges against Akingbola.
Justice Archibong also barred the prosecution team from appearing before the court or another judge of the Federal High Court.
But Akingbola is still being tried before a Lagos High Court over alleged involvement in financial crimes.
The judge said that the prosecution team was “a drain on the public purse, a fact the AGF should be mindful of now if he was not before”.
He said, “This prosecution team has chosen to pursue a campaign to scandalise the court, which amounts to serious and professional incompetence in the prosecution of the accused.
“This prosecution team or any part of it shall not be given further audience in this court in relation to the charges against the accused either before this presiding judge or any other judge of the Federal High Court, for the reason, I have given in the foregoing”
“Furthermore I take judicial notice that the accused herein is presently facing charges before the Lagos High Court emanating from his tenure as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Intercontinental Bank Plc. The AGF may wish to regain control of this process and his untrammeled right to prosecute the accused in another charge he chooses before any appropriate court, as he can of course do so at any time of his choosing.
“The record of these proceedings shall be forwarded to the AGF and the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LLPC) and these proceedings are at its end.”