The Supreme Court, on Friday, dismissed an appeal by former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, seeking to stop his probe in an alleged N96B fraud during his eight-year tenure as Rivers State governor.
Dismissing Amaechi’s appeal, a five-man panel of the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that it lacked merit.
It also held that Amaechi was neither on trial nor indicted for the alleged offence.
The Justices, therefore, submitted that there was no justification to stop the probe of the All Progressives Congress presidential aspirant.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, had set up a seven-man panel to probe Amaechi for allegedly withdrawing N96billion from the state’s treasury while he was governor of the state.
The listed valuable assets are Omoku Gas Turbine, Afam Gas Turbine, Trans Amadi Gas Turbine, Eleme Gas Turbine, Olympia Hotel, and the contract award for the execution of Mono Rail Project.
But Amaechi currently eyeing the presidential ticket of the ruling APC, prayed the Supreme Court to stop Wike from carrying out the probe of his tenure as the governor of the state.
Amaechi, who was represented by his counsel, Lateef Fagbemi SAN, opposed his probe by Wike’s administration on the ground that it was aimed at witch-hunting embarrassing, humiliating and to also disgrace his client because of his political differences with the incumbent governor.
Delivering judgement on Friday on the matter, the apex court’s five-man panel dismissed Amaechi’s appeal.
The court, however, held that Wike’s probe panel lacked the competence to indict Amaechi.
Reading the lead judgement, Justice Adamu Jauro declared that “The appeal fails as it lacks merit.”
The apex court also ordered Amaechi to pay N1million to the respondents.
