A Presiding magistrate in Enugu South magisterial district, His Worship E D Onwu, has disclosed that he is under instruction to deal with a matter involving the Labour candidate, LP for Enugu South Urban state Constituency, Hon Bright Ngene.
Ngene and two others are standing trial in a resurrected matter involving his community development fund which was abandoned since since 2017 when he was lawyer for his community, Akwuke, Enugu state.
When the matter came up for adoption of written addresses, on Thursday, there was an uproar in court room as three lawyers fought fruitlessly to dissuade the magistrate to give a long adjournment date in a matter against Ngene and two others.
While the defence counsels, Messrs CJ S Okereke, Benjamin C. Nwobodo and Frabel Awgu asked the trial Magistrate to adjourn the matter till next week to enable them study and reply to application filed by the prosecuting counsel, His Worship E D Ownu insisted that court must sit tomorrow, Friday.
The Magistrate said, “I would have loved to handoff this case but I am under the directive of the Chief Judge. The last time when the case was taken from me, I was so happy. I went to Universal Hotel to celebrate with my friend. I said that at least I can now rest. So now, they now assigned the case to me again. So if they tell him to handsoff the case, I will gladly do so.”
The matter had been lingering since 2017 before Ngene ran for the assembly election.
When every efforts by the defence counsels failed to sway the trial Magistrate, they stormed out of the court, visibly angry.
Addressing journalists on the outcome of the proceeding, Barr. C. J. S Okereke said that the community had applied to discontinue the matter and wanted the matter transferred to another magistrate court in Enugu South Magisterial Court other than that of His Worship, Onwu who they felt is biased and compromised.
“This court is biased. We have filed an application that the matter should be transferred to another court. Let another court see this matter because this court is compromised.”
Accusing His Worship, Onwu of comprising in the case, Okereke said that they petitioned National Judicial Council, that they were not happy with Onwu handling the matter..
“When his disposition, Onwu, became unbearable, we saw counter and conflicting orders, we wrote the Chief Judge of Enugu State for direction as to which court we are going to hear this matter, there was no reply. We wrote again and there was no reply and we were constrained to go to the highest disciplinary body if the bench, the NJC on June 7 and we got acknowledgment that the matter is being looked into.
“I don’t know why this court still want to hear the matter,” he lamented saying that there was a gang plan to commit his client to prison so that he would not participate in the rerun election to maintain his position at the Enugu State House of Assembly where he had been representing Enugu South Urban Constituency before the Court of Appeals annuled the election and called for a rerun in eight polling booths.
Irked by the development, people from Akwuke Community carried placards condemning His Worship, E D Ownu for not allowing a longer time for adjournment.
Some of the placards read: “His Worship E D Ownu is grossly lawless and rascal in presiding the case”; “E D Ownu how much were you paid? among other inscriptions.
