An Abuja High Court on Wednesday granted leave to the EFCC to re-open a criminal case against one George Ihejirika, who allegedly forged Certificates of Registration of some companies.
?Justice Abubakar Umar, on Jan. 23, discharged Ihejirika and closed the case for want of diligent prosecution on the part of the EFCC.
Ihejirika was arraigned in 2009 on an eight-count charge of using the forged certificates of the Corporate Affairs Commission with the intent to defraud some unsuspecting businessmen in Abuja.
In his ruling on an application to re-open the case, Justice Umar recalled the reasons why he discharged
the accused.
He said from his records, it was at the instance of the prosecution that an adjournment was granted on June 13, 2011 to enable them produce some documents.
“It was also the same prosecution that asked that the case be adjourned to Nov. 3, 2011 and I obliged them.
He said that justice was a three-way street; one for the accused, one for the state and one for the society.
Umar charged the prosecution to show more diligence in the prosecution of the matter.
“The EFCC counsel must be careful and show more effort in prosecuting the case this time around. We
must make progress.''
He adjourned hearing to June 5 and ordered the EFCC to produce all witnesses in court on that day. (NAN)