Rivers State Government has withdrawn the criminal charge filed against formerly Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.
The case was withdrawn against the former state governor, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Tonye Cole; and five others.
Nyesom Wike, Rivers Governor, had set up a seven-man panel to probe Amaechi over the alleged withdrawal of N96 billion from the state’s treasury during the latter’s tenure as governor.
The panel had also investigated issues surrounding the “sale of assets” by the former Governor.
The listed 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 the Mono Rail Project.
The panel submitted its report in 2015, but Amaechi has since insisted that he is not guilty of fraud.
However, on 27 May, 2022, the supreme court dismissed an application by Amaechi challenging the probe.
Consequently, Wike directed Zaccheus Adangor, the state’s attorney-general, to commence immediate prosecution of the former transport minister as well as Tonye Cole, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the state, and five others.
The defendants subsequently challenged the legality of using a private prosecutor instead of the attorney-general of the state to prosecute the suit.
At the court session on Thursday, counsel to the state government informed the court of the decision to withdraw the suit.
But the defence counsel argued that the move was an abuse of court process, and proceeded to ask for a dismissal of the charges.
After listening to the submissions of the parties, Okogbule Gbasam, the presiding judge, struck out the suit and the charges against the defendants.
The judge ruled that the plaintiff has the right to discontinue the matter.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Okogbule Gbasam after hearing the arguments of the parties in the matter, struck out the suit and the charges against the APC and others.
One of the defence lawyers, Achinike Wobodo who spoke with journalists on the development, said they were ready to face the state government whenever there was a fresh charge against their clients.
Wobodo said: “As it stands today, there is no charge against anybody in any court. We do not intend to prevent whether they want to file any other charge or not.
“Taking one thing as a time, if they bring any other charge, we will also challenge them.
“We have said to Rivers people, these are just antics to paint these gentlemen in a bad light,” he said.