BREAKING: Court Orders Fast-Tracked Trial Of 15 Domestic Workers Held In Prison For 6 Years Over Patience Jonathan’s Missing Jewellery

The Bayelsa State High Court has ordered a fast-tracked proceedings for 15 home workers who person spent astir six years successful detention astatine the Okaka Correctional Centre, Yenagoa, without conviction, implicit missing jewellery belonging to erstwhile First Lady Patience Jonathan.

SaharaReporters gathered that the bid came aft the prosecution and defence teams reached a uncommon statement during Thursday’s proceedings to fast-track the case, which has suffered deliberate and serial delays allegedly masterminded by Patience Jonathan’s backstage ineligible team.

“The tribunal proceeded good today, and some parties person agreed to decorativeness the lawsuit arsenic soon arsenic possible, with an accelerated hearing. So triumph is coming,” a root adjacent to the defence told SaharaReporters.

The 15 accused persons, astir of whom were portion of Mrs Jonathan’s home staff, were arrested successful 2019 and person remained successful detention without bail, with the lawsuit dragging connected endlessly for years amid reports of accordant manipulation of tribunal processes.

A erstwhile study by SaharaReporters exposed a signifier of intentional tribunal delays reportedly orchestrated by Mrs Jonathan’s backstage prosecutors, Ige Asemudara and Samuel Chinedu Maduba, some of whom person been consistently representing the erstwhile First Lady since 2019.

“The prosecutors are Ige Asemudara and Samuel Chinedu Maduba,” 1 of the sources confirmed.

“One of them comes from Lagos portion the 2nd travels successful from Port Harcourt. They’ve been handling this lawsuit from time one, presenting witnesses who travel to archer lies. One witnesser took astir 2 years,” a root earlier told SaharaReporters.

Sources alleged that Mrs Jonathan gave nonstop instructions to hold the proceedings.

“The purpose is to frustrate the process and support these guiltless radical successful situation arsenic agelong arsenic possible. It’s an maltreatment of the ineligible system,” a root adjacent to the courtroom told SaharaReporters.

The hold tactics reportedly included wellness excuses, unreachable witnesses, and repeated adjournments based connected flimsy reasons. “Sometimes, Ige Asemudara would assertion helium is sick oregon his witnesser has work. Other times, helium conscionable asks for agelong adjournments,” said different insider.

Shockingly, the judiciary itself was not spared from complicity allegations. A root revealed that the presiding justice initially delayed proceeding the bail applications, claiming she wanted to perceive to immoderate of the prosecution’s grounds archetypal to find the quality of the charges.

“When the lawsuit started successful 2019, they each applied for bail,” the root said. “But the justice told their lawyers to hold truthful she could perceive immoderate evidence. After that, she shockingly denied bail, saying the offences were superior and truthful not bailable.”

Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State High Court has denied immoderate engagement successful the delays, precocious restating its committedness to speedy justness and dismissing reports of suspects' trials being delayed.

The court, successful a absorption to reports that alleged that the proceedings of 15 home workers facing proceedings for burglary and theft of jewellery, was being delayed, said the assertion was false.

It claimed that, according to disposable records, the substance had suffered delays owed to aggregate defence lawyers who indispensable cross-examine witnesses, which had slowed down proceedings. It added that the lawsuit had besides suffered respective adjournments astatine the lawsuit of counsel.

The delays person near the defence squad and families of the detainees stunned, peculiarly since the prosecution reportedly failed to nutrient immoderate convincing grounds to enactment the superior charges.

The affected persons are Williams Alami, Vincent Olabiyi, Ebuka Cosmos, John Dashe, Tamunokuro Abaku, Sahabi Lima, Emmanuel Aginwa, Erema Deborah, Precious Kingsley, Tamunosiki Achese, Salomi Wareboka, Sunday Reginald, Boma Oba, Vivian Golden and Emeka Benson.

They person remained down bars without justice, caught successful the web of power, influence, and a compromised ineligible process.

With the tribunal yet conceding to an accelerated hearing, anticipation has erstwhile again sparked for the victims of this ineligible nightmare.

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