Alleged corruption: El-Rufai deserves fair hearing, says Ozekhome

Human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, has called for a just proceeding for the erstwhile politician of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai, whose medication is presently nether probe by the state’s House of Assembly.

Despite El-Rufai being indicted connected corruption charges and wealth laundering, Ozekhome said the embattled erstwhile Kaduna politician cannot beryllium indicted by proxy.

Ozekhome added that portion the advertisement hoc committee had done its job, El-Rufai has the close to support himself against the charges.

“I’m not a Nostradamus, the antheral who saw tomorrow, nor americium I the oracle astatine Ile Ife [in Osun State] that volition spell regard into the aboriginal to pronounce who the adjacent Ooni request to be. So, I wouldn’t beryllium capable to cognize what the result would be,” the lawyer said connected Thursday’s variation of Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

“But I deliberation that immoderate happens, El-Rufai indispensable beryllium fixed his close to a just hearing. The assembly has conscionable simply made a proposal and told the politician to instrumentality it.

“The politician whitethorn look astatine it and, and consciousness well, ‘This is not worthy the vigor astatine the time. Let’s look different [things]’. Others whitethorn say, ‘N423 cardinal they are accusing him of is not a tiny amount; let’s excavation in.’

“So, immoderate the result would be, don’t hide that El-Rufai besides has his ain cardinal rights to protect. For example, helium whitethorn determine to spell to tribunal to situation the indictment itself.

“Maybe you could accidental helium was not fixed a just trial. He was ne'er called. I don’t cognize whether helium was called to travel and support himself.”

Ozekhome further asked if El-Rufai was duly invited oregon if helium was fixed an accidental to support himself.

He said if the ex-governor was duly invited and helium chose to enactment back, that was different shot game.

Ozekhome said conscionable due to the fact that helium does not person each those duties, it becomes peremptory for him to remark connected the case.

“You don’t indict a idiosyncratic by proxy. No, you don’t, peculiarly successful a substance that has transgression connotations. You can’t bash that by proxy. So, it has to beryllium the person,” the lawyer said.

The Guardian reports that El-Rufai had, connected Wednesday, dismissed the study of the committee acceptable up by the Kaduna State House of Assembly to analyse his administration.

El-Rufai’s spokesman, Muyiwa Adekeye, successful a statement, said the erstwhile Kaduna State politician led a authorities of integrity and competent governance.

“We are alert of quality that the Kaduna State House of Assembly has adopted the study of the ad-hoc committee it asked to probe the El-Rufai government,” Adekeye said.

“We person not been availed a transcript of the report, to which we would respond robustly whenever we get it.

“We affirm the integrity of the El-Rufai authorities and disregard the scandalous claims being aired arsenic the study of the committee.”

The Kaduna House of Assembly decided to probe El-Rufai aft Governor Uba Sani accused his predecessor of leaving tons of indebtedness load of $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities.