Anti-corruption crusader and former lawmaker, Otunba Dino Melaye, yesterday insisted that Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), is corrupt and not fit to be either a minister or a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

Melaye therefore asked a Federal High Court in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, to dismiss the N10.2 billion libel suit Adoke filed against him “with substantial costs as it is vexatious, frivolous, and lacking in merit.”

In an 80-paragraph Statement of Defence filed by his counsel, Mr. Tony Itedjere, of Bamidele Aturu Chambers, Melaye, who is the Executive Secretary of Anti-Corruption Network, insisted that Adoke “has not shown that he is a fit and proper person to occupy the office of the AGF and Minister of Justice or hold any position of authority or responsibility in a decent society.”

In the Statement of Defence, a copy of which is in possession of News Express, Melaye, a former member of the House of Representatives, said: “At the trial of this suit the Defendants will prove before this Honourable Court:

“That the actions and inactions of Plaintiff in office has wittingly or unwittingly frustrated the trial of corrupt people and other criminals and thus sabotaged the efforts of the Federal Government to tackle corruption and other economic and financial crimes.

“That the Plaintiff ought not to have received the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Commander of the Order of Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Faulting paragraph 10 of Adoke’s Statement of Claim, Melaye averred as follows: “The Plaintiff has not shown that the conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) on him in July 2006 was based on outstanding contributions to legal development in Nigeria or on merit. At the trial of this suit the Defendants will rely on the Application Form and all other documents submitted by the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee for the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria which the Plaintiff is hereby given notice to produce.

“The Defendants aver that the Plaintiff is not known to have handled any outstanding case to qualify him for the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria. The Plaintiff is hereby given notice to produce a copy of the application form submitted by him for the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria. At the trial of this suit the Defendants will rely on the Guidelines for the Award of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria at the material time to prove that the Plaintiff was not qualified.

“The Defendants aver that they have never come across the Plaintiff’s cases in the law reports. The Plaintiff is hereby given notice to list his cases which have been reported in law reports.

Before his appointment as the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice the Plaintiff was defending Jolly Nyame, a former Governor ofTaraba State. The Plaintiff now gives or is deemed to have given approval to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission to try him, in other words trying someone he defended earlier, a clear case of conflict of interest.

“The Defendants aver that based on their conviction that the Plaintiff has abused the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, they requested President Goodluck Jonathan who appointed him to remove him from office in the national interest. At the trial of this suit the defendants will rely on the indictment of the plaintiff by several organizations, newspapers and magazines.

“The Defendants aver that the Plaintiff has wittingly or unwittingly aided and abetted corruption in Nigeria by causing many cases to be withdrawn from criminal courts. They include the cases of the accused persons in Siemens bribery scandal, Julius Berger bribery scandal, International Bank (Citibank) fraud, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission fraud, Halliburton $180 million bribery scandal etc.”

It would be recalled that Melaye and the Anti-Corruption Network had in a petition to President Goodluck Jonathan dated April 11 detailed alleged graft and “outrageous use of powers against public interest” by the AGF and for which the Presidency ordered investigation.

Adoke has assembled an 11-man legal team in the 10.2 billion suit in which he accused Melaye of damaging his reputation but 10 SANs, 87 and lawyers have offered free services for Melaye.

•Photo shows Adoke.

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