Justice Eze Njemanze of the Imo State High Court has fixed July 11 for the arraignment of a former presiding judge of the Owerri Federal High Court of Appeal, justice Ladan Tsamiya.
The absence of the Justice at the court on Friday in Owerri stalled his arraignment by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission.
Counsel for the accused jurist, David Adegbe, had told the court that the accused had traveled abroad for medical treatment.
But the counsel for the ICPC, George Lawan, who opposed the defence counsel said that the accused was taking the court for granted.
In his ruling, the presiding justice adjourned the matter till June 11 for the arraignment of the accused by the anti-graft agency.
The judge who frowned at the accused’s absence in court warned that the court would not tolerate it on the next adjourned date.
He warned that if the accused failed to appear before him on July 11, he would issue a bench warrant against him.
The head of public enlightenment of the ICPC in Imo State, Chinwe Nwozo, told newsmen after the matter was adjourned that the anti-graft agency was arraigning the accused jurist for allegedly demanding N200m from a politician to influence an appeal case before his court.
She said, “we are arraigning justice Mohd Ladan Tsamiya for asking for N200m to influence an appeal. The appeal before him was an electoral matter and it was a politician that he was demanding the money from.”
“The court has asked us to come back on July 11 to enable us to arraign him. His absence frustrated his arraignment today but I am happy that the court reprimanded him through his layer. Hopefully, we will arraign him on July 11.”
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