The Federal Government has filed a criminal charge against a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ozekhome, over alleged forgery and use of false documents in a disputed property case in the United Kingdom.
68-year-old Ozekome is being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), a document obtained by Channels Television on Sunday revealed.
The three-count charge was filed before a FCT High Court in Abuja on Friday by ICPC’s Head of High Profile Prosecution Department, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, and Assistant Chief Legal Officer, Ngozi Onwuka, on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi.
The senior lawyer is accused of knowingly presenting forged documents, including a Nigerian international passport, to support his claim of ownership of a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, during proceedings before the London First-Tier Tribunal.
The alleged offences were committed sometime in August 2021 in the Maitama area of the nation’s capital, within the jurisdiction of the FCT High Court.
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The charge sheet highlights three counts, bordering on giving false information, use of forged documents, and attempting to deceive a public authority.
Charges
The first count alleges that sometime in August 2021, he directly received House 79 Randall Avenue, London, purportedly given to him by one Shani Tali in a transaction the ICPC says constitutes a felony under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
The second count accuses the senior lawyer of “making a false document,” a Nigerian passport bearing number A07535463 in the name of Mr Shani Tali, with the intent to support a claim of ownership of the London property. This charge is filed under the Penal Code of the Federal Capital Territory.
In the third count, Ozekhome is accused of “dishonestly” using the allegedly false passport as genuine to support the property ownership claim when he had reason to believe the document was false.
Witnesses
The Federal Government listed several witnesses it intends to call during the trial, including its investigators and a representative of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).
Documents to be tendered as exhibits include the judgment of the London First-Tier Tribunal, extra-judicial statements, letters from relevant authorities, and passport data relating to Shani Tali.
The case is yet to be assigned a trial date.
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