Lawyers debunk corruption allegations against Akpabio

Some human right lawyers have said that there is no truth in the allegation that the former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to avoid prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as presently there is no case against the Senator.

They said it was mischief and a campaign of calumny by political opponents of the Senator to claim the politician defected to escape probe by the anti-graft agency, adding that there was no truth in the allegations.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja, the lawyers led by Barrister Leo Ekpenyong said their law firm was briefed by clients who made allegations of about N100 billion alleged graft in Akwa Ibom State for which petitions were sent to the EFCC.

According to him, “the law firm deemed it necessary in the interest of justice to withdraw the petitions when in the course of our interactions with the EFCC, we called the attention of the sponsors and instigators of the petitions to substantiate their allegations and they were not able to substantiate same. The law says he who asserts must prove.

“We felt that as a law firm, we owed the country a duty to propagate and also seek the truth and defend same when the need arises. It was on that note that the firm having discovered that the petitions were fuelled and instigated by disgruntled politicians in Akwa Ibom State decided to withdraw the petitions, and EFCC may have established same. So as it is, Senator Akpabio does not have any case with the EFCC,” he said.

Also speaking, Barr. Eyo Ekong said it was wrong to play politics with legal issues of which clarifications have been made.