How I paid $30,000 into Onnoghen’s domiciliary account, Agi opens up
AS
controversies continue to trail the inability of the suspended Chief
Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, in declaring his complete
bank account in his assets declaration form he submitted to the Code of
Conduct Bureau upon his appointment as CJN, a lawyer and former Peoples
Democractic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Cross River State, Joe
Agi, SAN has said he particularly deposited the sum of $30,000 for
Onnoghen.
This was even as he alleged that the Attorney
General of the Federation, Mallam Abubakar Malami, and those he
described as a cabal were after him because he (Agi) did not only expose
them but also secured the refund of the fraudulent deduction of $3,18
billion from local governments account by the Federal Government in the
Paris Club fund.
His explanation came amidst his recent
arraignment by the federal government for allegedly bribing the
suspended CJN with the amount for a favourable judgment.
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The
legal luminary, explained the role he played in the suspended CJN’s
domiciliary account in a statement he sent to Vanguard, Wednesday,
following accusation of bribing Onnoghen with the money for a favourable
judgement.
Agi said he deposited the money in the
suspended CJN’s domiciliary account having collected the money for such
purpose from Onnoghen, whom he said, was not aware such account existed
nor knew how to open and operate it.
He said in the statement: “In
the year 2009, I brought to his knowledge that he can open a domiciliary
account instead of travelling with cash from Nigeria to abroad on
seminars, holidays, conferences or medical trips.
“My
Lord Justice Onnoghen said he had no idea since the opening of foreign
account was forbidden for Public Officers. I informed him that
domiciliary account is not a foreign bank account as it is opened and
operated within the local banks in Nigeria.
“It was on this note that I went to my banker and obtained Account Opening Forms for him as a friend and senior brother.
“He
completed the forms and I refereed him. He gave me $30,000, being left
over of his allowances for overseas seminars, holidays, conferences or
medical trips to deposit for him as the first deposit.
“This,
I did in 2009, that is 10 years ago. After that, he operated the
account himself without me paying even a cent into that account till
date.”
“Now, 10 years after, I am again being vilified and accused of giving Justice Onnoghen bribe.
“If
I may ask, a bribe for what case? In the Supreme Court panel, they sit
in five or seven persons, was the $30,000 for the five or seven
justices? And for what case? This is another huge joke aimed at
vilifying my person by the same cabal who are hell bent on tarnishing my
image as an aftermath of the exposure of the Paris Club fraud.”
The
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, challenged the Minister of Justice and
Attorney General of the Federation, Mallam Abubakar Malami, who
instituted the case against him to come up with evidence to support his
claim that the $30 ,000 traced to the account of the suspended Chief
Justice of Nigeria, Justice Onnoghen, was a bribe to compromise the
trial on the exposed $ 3.18 billion paris club fruad.
He
explained that though he convinced the suspended CJN to open the said
domiciliary account with the Standard Chartered Bank 10 years ago with
an initial deposit of $30,000, the deposit was never a bribe to the CJN
or the trial judge in the Paris Club’s fraud case, Justice Adeniyi
Ademola.
According to him, rather than the government to
pay him his legal fee of over N 70 million for exposing and winning the
case in court, Mallami and the same cabal had framed him up with trump
up charges including bribing the suspended CJN.
Mr Agi
said it was a huge joke to have said he bribed the respected Justice of
supreme Court justice Ademola with N30 million and a jeep to secure the
ruling on the Paris Club refund .
“Is it a crime for
judges to have friends or acquaintances? I challenge the Attorney
General Malami, SAN and the EFCC to come forward with their proof that
the $30,000 Onnoghen sent me to deposit for him 10 years ago was as a
result of bribery.
“I challenge them to come out openly
on the real reason why they are out to tarnish my image. They should be
bold enough to open up rather than hiding under the guise of fight
against corruption as a smokescreen to launch a smear campaign against
my person.
“The government should be sincere and serious
about fighting corruption and not be engaged in the deliberate
destruction of the names of its citizens whom they perceive as enemies.
“Which
Nigerian alive today can say he has not benefited from the Paris Club
Refund? Yet, Joe Agi, SAN who is the face of Paris Club refund is being
hounded and haunted instead of being celebrated. God save us!
“Let
it be known that very prominent people in the present government have
corruptly and fraudulently taken the legal fees due to me from the Paris
Club Refund and the EFCC has seen nothing wrong with it,” he further
said.
Source:- Vanguardngr
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