Appeal Court refutes allegation of foul play in Rivers murder case

The Court of Appeal has debunked an al­legation of foul play in its decision to reconsti­tute the panel of Justices of the Port Harcourt division of the court currently hear­ing the appeal filed by the former Chairman of Asari-Toru Local Government of Rivers State, Ojukaye Flag Amachree, who is accused of murder.

The court’s Media Of­ficer, Sa’adatu Musa, in a statement yesterday, faulted claims in a recent publica­tion by a Rivers State-based group, as Integrity Friends for Truth and Peace Initia­tive (IFTPI), to the effect that changing the panel to hear the bail application by Amachree amounted to abuse of judicial powers.

Musa said the decision of the court’s President, Zain­ab Bulkachuwa to constti­tute a fresh panel to hear the application was informed by a request to that effect by Amachree’s lawyer, Ken O. Atsuwete.

Mrs Musa said: “On 13th June, 2016, a letter was re­ceived by the office of the Hon. President from one Ken O. Atsuwete, Esq. a So­licitor in the Law Office of K. O. Atsuwete & Co. located at No. 42, Isiokpo Street, D/Line, Port-Harcourt, Rivers and representing the Appel­lant in the case of Ojukaye Flag Amachree v. The State (CA/PH/16CR/2016).

“In the said letter, the So­licitor requested His Lord­ship for an assignment of his client’s bail application to a fresh appeal Panel. In order to safeguard the integ­rity of the local Panelist and in exercise of his constitu­tional powers, his Lordship constituted a new Panel to determine the bail applica­tion.