The Office of the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP), has ordered more investigations into the forgery charge against the Managing Director (MD) of First Bank and others at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
It would be recalled that the Attorney General of the Federation had filed a three-count charge against the suspects for which they were to be arraigned on March 28, 2023, but later suspended due to non-service of the charges on the defendants
According to the charge sheet filed by the Federal Ministry of Justice: “The five defendants were accused, among other things, of forging a tripartite legal mortgage without the consent of the proprietor of Whiteplain British School, Mr Francis Chukwumah Nwufor, with intent to commit fraud.”
When the matter came up on Monday, the Prosecuting Counsel, Ndidi Okoha, said: “Today is fixed for the arraignment of the MD of First Bank and other defendants, but she needs to inform the court of a development due to other issues that arose in the course of the investigation.
“That the DPP has taken steps to ensure that such issues are investigated before the arraignment of the defendants, prompting the
DPP of the federation to write the court in compliance with the rules of ACJA 2015 sections 107 1 4 and 108 1 2 and 5.
“Given the above sections, the DPP seeks the court’s indulgence to discontinue the above case before the court pending the final investigative report.”
After her oral application, Counsel to First Bank, Ade Oyebanji SAN, said he’s not objecting the application to discontinue the case, having filed a notice of preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter
In her short ruling, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, said the letter from the DPP was not before the court
and ordered the office of the DPP to file a formal notice of discontinuance on the matter.
He adjourned the matter to June 7 for hearing on the application.
