The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday threatened to jail any lawyer who flouts the court’s rules to cause delay in the forfeiture suit filed by the EFCC against 57 properties linked to Abubakar Malami, SAN.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Malami is the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik gave the warning following a complaint by EFCC lead counsel, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, that some of the lawyers to interested parties deliberately served on him their processes late to delay proceedings.
When the case was called, Justice Abdulmalik declined to allow lawyers, whose names were not in the cause list, to announce their appearance for their clients.
The judge, who condemned the act, said it was high time lawyers conducted themselves in line with the rules.
Okutepa, while addressing the court, said the matter was scheduled for today for the hearing of all applications.
“Unfortunately, I came this morning by 8:31 am, and I received a call from Learner Silk, J.B. Daudu, SAN, that he is leading his legal team to the Appeal Court for a time-sensitive matter,” he said.
Read Also:Why 57 properties linked to Malami should be permanently forfeited to FG–EFCC
He said Daudu told him that he would be sending a lawyer with a letter to the court.
Okutepa said, truly, he said in the letter that Daudu had a Peoples Democratic Party’s case at the Appeal Court.
He said he expressed his discomfort to his colleague because the suit was filed since January.
He said though the parties were before the court on Feb. 28, some of the lawyers to the interested parties were still serving him their processes up to Tuesday, even after some of them had filed their responses to the court order since January.
“These people filed their processes as far back as January but they didn’t serve me in January, they didn’t serve me in February, March but until April 18,” he said.
Okutepa, who said about 14 of the lawyers served him late, told the court that another lawyer just approached him when in court to serve him with their process.
“We are ministers in the temple of justice my lord and things should be done rightly,” he added.
He described the act as deliberate ploy to delay hearing.
He said the publication of the interim forfeiture order of the 57 properties was done on Jan. 9 as directed by the court and that interested parties were supposed to show cause within 14 days of the order why a final forfeiture order should not be made.
“My lord, we need court guidance,” he said.
The lawyer said that, though he would not oppose the application for adjournment, he, however, said that so many motions were filed by the respondents to overwhelm them.
“But we will not be overwhelmed,” he said
Justice Abdulmalik then said that a definite date would be given to all parties in the suit to file and serve their processes.
“And anyone who fails to file within time will shoot himself in the foot.
“I will not take any rascallity from any lawyer, and if you dare me, I will charge you for contempt, dock and jail you.
“So please let’s do the needful,” the judge warned.
She subsequently adjourned the matter until May 26 for hearing of all applications.
