A leading civil society organisation, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Monday weighed in on the allegations of how Mr Neda Imasuen, chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics that recommended the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was stripped of his bar licence in New York, US, over allegations of multimillion-dollar fraud and gross misconduct.

The group stated that the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria owe Nigerians a clear explanation for why the leadership appointed Senator Imasuen to such a serious committee on Ethics and Public Petitions without ascertaining his professional records.

“If this damaging accusation of fraud made against Senator Imasuen is confirmed to be credible, it would be logically and ethically impossible for a believable reason to be adduced by the Senate’s hierarchy on why someone with ethical baggage is saddled with the onerous function and power of enforcing ethical standards and heading a strategic panel charged with investigating public petitions. It is against natural law for such a serious error of judgment to have been committed by the Senate president. If it is true, the Senate president should tender a public apology to Nigerians.”

HURIWA recalled that an online publication alleged that Mr Imasuen was disbarred for life after he swindled his client, absconding with representation fees without making an appearance for her in court.

He also refused to comply with the disciplinary panel’s attempt to investigate his misconduct.

Daphne Shyfield hired Imasuen to represent her on a matter in 2009 and paid him tens of millions of dollars for legal fees.

It was alleged in the newspaper report that instead of appearing for Shyfield, Mr Imasuen allegedly absconded with the money, a move that triggered a morass of petitions, given that his actions contravened existing New York bar code and rules.

Despite being served with petitions on multiple occasions in the US, Imasuen failed to respond to any of the petitions and did not ask for an extension of time to file a response.

The Edo South senator, instead, allegedly fled to Nigeria with Shyfield’s funds to lay low and escape disciplinary actions from the Grievance Committee, the body responsible for issuing rulings for the infractions of jurists.

Following several failed attempts to obtain a response to petition files, the Grievance Committee for the Second, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Judicial Districts terminated Imasuen’s licence to practice law in New York.

“Neda B. Imasuen, admitted as Neda Bernards Imasuen, is disbarred, and his name is stricken from the roll of attorneys and counselors-at-law,” a decision of the Grievance Committee on May 10, 2010 reads.

“Neda Bernards Imasuen is commanded to desist and refrain from (1) practicing law in any form, either as principal or agent, clerk, or employee of another, (2) appearing as an attorney or counsellor-at-law before any court, judge, justice, board, commission, or other public authority,” the notice of his disbarment further reads

Meanwhile, in Nigeria, Imasuen who is 66 years old, rode on the waves of the Labour Party to win the Edo South senatorial poll in 2023 and wormed his way to becoming the chair of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions.

HURIWA recalled that the media report raised a question why a same man with an alleged 15-year-old history of disregarding petitions was now heading the Senate Committee on Ethics and Public Petitions which the online publication concluded that it called into question the integrity —if any, of the people in the nation’s leadership positions.

Reacting, HURIWA National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, urged the relevant investigative agency such as the Independent corrupt practices and other related offences commission to probe into the report that Senator Imasuen was banned from practicing Law in New York over alleged case of fraud.

“We are also calling on the Senate President Mr Godswill Akpabio to relieve Mr Imasuen of his appointment or suspend him from that position of heading the Ethics and Public Petitions committee until a clearer information emerges based on the investigation of ICPC or available response from Freedom of Information request. We urge Nigerian lawyers practicing in New York to officially obtain a detailed report from the New York bar on the allegation that Imasuen was disbarred from law practice in New York and under which circumstances. The findings should be published widely for Nigerians to read and ascertain if this serious allegation against Senator Imasuen is true or false.”