…THE REAL STORY BEHIND ONNOGHEN’S TRAVAILS
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Joe Agi, currently being prosecuted for
alleged paying $30,000.00 into the domiciliary account of Justice Walter
Onnoghen, has said he is being attacked because he fought and exposed the
frauds in the $3.18million Paris Club refund.
In a statement sent to Pointblanknews.com, Agi challenged the Federal
Government and the Attorney General of the Federation to state the real
reasons for his arrests and prosecution.
His statement reads:
Following the illegal and fraudulent deductions from the local government
accounts, I Joe Agi SAN exposed and tenaciously fought for the refund of
the illegal deductions of the sum of $3.18 Billion corruptly deducted from
the accounts of Local Government in Nigeria at the Federal High Court in
Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/130/2013.
The Federal Government who fraudulently deducted the money has returned
part of it to the local governments following Judgment against it in the
case led by myself (Joe Agi, SAN). But shockingly, instead of
investigating and prosecuting those who stole the money, the Government
acting through its agents and agencies such as Abubakar Malami, SAN (The
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice) and the
Economic and Financial Crimes Crime Commission (EFCC) unjustifiably framed
me up and charged in a trumped up and baseless charges of bribing Justice
A. F. A. Ademola, the trial Judge, with N30M and a car to give the Paris
Club Refund Judgment. The charge has since been quashed by the Court and
I, Joe Agi, SAN was discharged and acquitted.
Is this not a case of the corruption fighting back? The Federal Government
did not even go on Appeal against the Judgment as it does not have any
case but to bury its face in shame.
In the intervening period, the Federal Government has reluctantly refunded
part of the Paris Club Refund but deliberately failed to mention my name
(Joe Agi, SAN) as the hero who exposed Paris Club fraud and secured its
refund rather than vilifying me as corrupt and a bribe giver.
The High Court has since cleared me and the Court of Appeal has also
affirmed. The pertinent question is: Do Joe Agi, SAN not deserve National
Honours for exposing such monumental national fraud? Indeed, every
Nigerian has taken benefit of fight against corruption by the billions of
Naira released to states and local government through the Paris Club
Refund which I fought for.
$30,000 paid to Justice Onnoghen account – in Standard Charged Bank.
I, Joe Agi, SAN have been acquainted with Justice Onnoghen, JSC in our
days as Lawyers in Calabar, Cross Rivers State from the 1980s’ before he
was appointed a High Court Judge.
In the year 2009, I brought to his knowledge that he can open a
domiciliary account instead of travelling with cash from Nigeria to abroad
on seminars, holidays, conferences or medical trips. My Lord Justice
Onnoghen said he had no idea since opening of foreign account was
forbidden for Public Officers. I informed him that domiciliary account is
not a foreign bank account as it is opened and operated within the local
banks in Nigeria.
It was on this note that I went to my banker Standard Chartered Bank and
obtained Account Opening Forms for him as a friend and Senior Brother. He
completed the Forms and I refereed him. He gave me $30,000 been left over
of his allowances for overseas seminars, holidays, conferences or medical
trips to deposit for him as the first deposit. This I did in 2009 i.e 10
years ago. After that he operated the account himself without me paying
even a cent into that account till date.
Now 10 years after, I am again being vilified and accused of giving
Justice Onnoghen bribe. If I may ask; bribe for which case? In the Supreme
Court panel they sit in 5 or 7 persons, was the $30,000 for the 5 or 7
Justices? And for which case? This is another huge joke aimed at vilifying
my person by the same cabal who are hell bent on tarnishing my image as an
aftermath of the exposure of the Paris Club fraud.
Is it a crime for Judges to have friends or acquaintances? I challenge the
Attorney General Malami, SAN and the EFCC to come forward with their proof
that the $30,000 Onnoghen sent me to deposit for him 10 years ago was as a
result of bribery. I challenge them to come out openly on the real reason
why they are out to tarnish my image. They should be bold enough to open
up rather than hiding under the guise of fight against corruption as a
smokescreen to lunch a smear campaign against my person.
The Government should be sincere and serious about fighting corruption and
not be engaged in the deliberate destruction of the names of its citizens
whom they perceive as enemies.
Which Nigerian alive today can say he has not benefited from the Paris
Club Refund? Yet Joe Agi, SAN who is the face of Paris Club refund is
being hounded and haunted instead of being celebrated. God save us!
Let it be known that very prominent people in the present government have
corruptly and fraudulently taken the legal fees due to me from the Paris
Club Refund and the EFCC have seen nothing wrong with it.
Conscience is like a wound, only time can heal it.
Joe Agi, SAN