A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has discharged the Senator representing Bayelsa Central Senatorial District, Benson Konbowei, who is being charged with certificate forgery.
Konbowei, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was prosecuted before the court on March 26, 2024 on a three count charge, in which he was among others charged with forging a certificate of exemption for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Justice Christopher Oba had been the judge that dismissed Konbowei and struck out the charge, a little while after the prosecuting lawyer, Reuben Egwuaba, made an appeal to halt the prosecution.
Egwuaba had informed the court that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, who previously issued him a fiat to prosecute the case, has repealed the fiat and directed him to dismiss the charge.
As a result, Egwuaba applied to withdraw the charge —an application Chris Uche, the defence lawyer, did not oppose.
Justice Oba, who was nominated to strike out the charge, had however, rejected Uche’s application that the charge be dismissed.
Why It Matters
This article highlights the discharge of Bayelsa Senator Benson Konbowei in an alleged certificate forgery case. The legal proceedings, the Attorney General’s order, and judicial discretion played significant roles for this to happen.
So far, the case has raised, yet again, fresh questions about integrity and its impacts on both the accused senator and the justice system.
