Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo has petitioned Atiku Abubakar through Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB which has resulted to Atiku’s reaction.
Atiku has asked the CCB to drop the petition written against him by Festus Keyamo.
Keyamo had, in his petition to the CCB, called for Atiku’s probe for allegedly using a Special Purpose Vehicle to divert public funds between 1999 and 2007 when he was vice president.
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In response to the petition, the CCB had late March invited Keyamo for an interview to prove his claims against Atiku.
But in a letter dated April 7, Atiku, through his lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), warned the CCB against taking up the case on the grounds that the subject matter was already before a court.
Ozekhome, in the letter to the CCB, contending that it would be sub judice and contemptous for the CCB to be investigating the case when it was already in court.
Ozekhome said;
It is highly inappropriate for a party to a suit to take any extrajudicial steps, or to embark on any course of action that is either tantamount to, or calculated to undermine the authority and integrity of the court, which is dominus litis over the proceedings.
Such behavior is as condemnable as it is unacceptable. It is strongly frowned upon, by courts of law, as it has the potential of over-reaching the court, the other party and foisting on the court a fait accompli. In fact, it smacks of contempt of court, albeit ex facie curiae.
He therefore urged the bureau to refrain from interfering in the subject matter of Keyamo’s petition and to advise and direct him to pursue his pending litigation against Atiku to its logical conclusion.
He said;
Where, however, you persist in your enterprise of investigating this sub judice matter currently pending before a court of competent jurisdiction, we shall be left with no alternative than to activate the judicial process against your goodself.
