By: Felix Ikpotor
There was a rowdy session today (Thursday) at a High Court in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State a High Court refused to grant bail to a former council boss, Ojukaye Flag-Amaechree.
Amachree a staunch member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state is standing trial for alleged conspiracy and murder relating to the March 19 re-run legislative elections in the state.
Today was set aside by the trial judge, Justice Magrete Opara for ruling on Ojukaye’s bail application.
However, the judge refused to grant the accused bail on the grounds that the three medical reports presented by Ojukaye does not show any exceptional case in his illness where he should be granted bail.
In any capital offence, an accused person can only be granted bail on exceptional medical grounds.
The ruling we gathered did not go down well with Ojukaye’s supporters who had thronged the court causing a panicky atmosphere in the court as lawyers rushed out for safety.
The accused was taken out of the court under heavy security presence.
It would be recalled that the police who initially arraigned Ojukaye in court had withdrawn charges against him, citing improper investigation, but the Rivers State government immediately took over the matter.
Similarly, the case involving Azubuike Wanjoku, an APC aspirant for Ikwerre constituency in the March19 rerun election could not go on today as Mr. David Awoh who stood in for the prosecuting counsel said he has not been properly briefed and as such cannot continue.
In his reaction, counsel to Wanjoku, Emenike Ebete threatened to invoke the Criminal Prosecution Act for the court to strike out the matter for improper and lack of diligent prosecution.
However, the trial judge, Justice Mohammed Lima adjourned the case to June 14 and ordered the Department of State Security, DSS to go and prepare for the case.
It would be recalled that Wanjoku and the Secretary to Rivers State Government, Kenneth Kobani are standing trials for electoral offences in the March 19 rerun elections in the state.
