Court Orders ICPC to Unfreeze Firm’s Bank Accounts

A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday ordered the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) to unfreeze bank accounts of Blaid Construction Limited and its Director, Mrs. Ochuko Momoh.

The court also said it was wrong for the commission to freeze the accounts because it was aware of a suit filed by the plaintiff against it (ICPC).

ICPC was said to have directed banks, including Union Bank Plc to freeze accounts owned by Blaid and Mrs. Momoh, and also seized their properties, claiming to be investigating the plaintiffs businesses - actions, which Blaid and Mrs.Momoh challenged with the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/132/2019.

At the resumed hearing in the case on May 2, 2019 Justice Binta Nyako frowned at ICPC’s conduct, upon being told by plaintiffs’ lawyer, Ade Adedeji (SAN) that the defendant (ICPC) failed to comply with the order made by the court on March 5, 2019, directing it to reverse all its actions in respect of the plaintiffs’ assets and accounts.

Adedeji noted that, rather than comply with the court’s order, ICPC filed a notice of appeal, with the intention to tie the court’s hands and stall the hearing of his client’s case.

“What they did, that is regrettable, is that, after we filed this suit and they were served, they started taking steps to undermine the integrity of this court,” Adedeji said.

The counsel argued that the mere filing of a notice of appeal by a party, did not act as a stay of proceedings or an avenue to hide to disobey the order of court.

“It is important that the court protects its integrity, by insisting that its order must be obeyed before it (ICPC) can be heard. It goes to the issue of rule of law.

“If the defendant had stopped at what it did before March 5, 2019 when the order was made, it would have been understandable, but it went further to ask other banks, on which the order were not served, to place no debit order on the plaintiffs’ accounts.

“For the past three months, over 270 employees of the plaintiffs, including those engaged in Blaid Farms, have not been paid. The plaintiffs are unable to access their accounts for the purpose of paying staff salaries.”

Adedeji, who noted that the ICPC Chairman is a Law Professor, accused him of encouraging the disobedience of court’s orders by his agency.

He alleged that the ICPC Chairman “is the one behind these atrocities. That is why we are praying this court to insist that the right thing be done, by directing that the order of court, made on March 5 be complied with.

“We apply, in the interest of justice, to direct the ICPC Chairman, who is the alter ego, to obey the court’s order before taking any further steps.

Responding, ICPC’s lawyer, E.C. Otti denied Adedeji’s allegations and insisted that his client was constrained in obeying the court’s order to release the money in the banks.