The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN) has urged the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Maitama, Abuja, to order the resumption of the trial of Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye, which was adjourned indefinitely to enable the embattled senator to recuperate.
The PUNCH on Monday obtained a copy of the letter dated June 4, 2015, and with reference number DPPA/INVEST./023/18, which was sent to the court following Melaye’s resumption of legislative duties at the Senate on May 30.
The letter addressed to “The Chief Registrar, High Court of FCT, Maitama, Abuja” was titled, ‘Re; Charge No. CR/106/18: FRN V Senator Dino Melaye; Request for a date for trial’.
The AGF’s office is in the case prosecuting Melaye on two counts of deliberately giving false information to the police to frame the Chief of Staff to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Mr Edward Onoja David, in an alleged assassination attempt on his (Melaye’s) life.
Justice Olasunbo Goodluck had on May 17, 2018, adjourned indefinitely the case, pending when the senator would be discharged from the Intensive Care Unit of the National Hospital in Abuja, where he was then admitted.
Recalling the proceedings leading to the indefinite adjournment, the AGF’s letter sent to the court read, in part, “After listening to both counsel for the prosecution and the defence respectively, the court in its wisdom adjourned the case sine die (indefinitely) to enable the medical condition of the defendant to be restored to enable him to attend court for trial.”
The letter sent by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation and signed “for the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation” by the prosecuting counsel, Mr Shuaibu Labaran, stated that Melaye had been discharged.
Melaye dramatically resumed at the Senate with a neck brace and walking stick under the glare of cameras on May 30.
Since his resumption, he had been making contributions on the floor of the Senate.
The AGF in his letter, therefore, asked the court to give a new date for the prosecution to open its case.
He also urged the court to serve hearing notices on the parties to that effect.
“My lord, following his removal from the ICU, discharged from the National Hospital, Abuja and his subsequent resumption of duty at the National Assembly precisely on May 30 and 31, we humbly apply for a date for the prosecution to open its case in line with the ruling of this honourable court cited above and hearing notices served accordingly,” the letter read in part. (Punch)
