The Federal Government has filed a criminal charge against a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ozekhome, for allegedly forging documents and using false papers in a property dispute in the United Kingdom.
Mike Ozekhome, 68, is facing prosecution by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), according to a document obtained by Channels Television on Sunday.
The ICPC filed a three-count charge at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja on Friday.
The charge was brought by Osuobeni Akponimisingha, Head of the ICPC’s High Profile Prosecution Department, and Ngozi Onwuka, Assistant Chief Legal Officer, acting for the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi.
The senior lawyer is accused of submitting forged documents, including a Nigerian international passport, to support his claim that he owned a property at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX.
This was allegedly done during proceedings at the London First-Tier Tribunal.
The alleged offences are said to have taken place in August 2021 in Maitama, within the FCT High Court’s jurisdiction.
The charge sheet lists three counts, bordering on giving false information, the use of forged documents, and attempting to mislead a public authority.
According to the first count, Ozekhome is accused of receiving House 79 Randall Avenue, London, from a person named Shani Tali, in what the ICPC describes as a transaction that violates the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
The second count alleges that he created a fake Nigerian passport in the name of Shani Tali, with passport number A07535463, to support his claim to the London property. This charge is brought under the Penal Code of the Federal Capital Territory.
In the third count, Ozekhome is accused of using the allegedly forged passport as if it were genuine, knowing it could be false, to strengthen his ownership claim.
The Federal Government has listed several witnesses it plans to call, including ICPC investigators and a representative from the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).
Documents expected to be presented in court include the London First-Tier Tribunal judgment, extra-judicial statements, letters from relevant authorities, and passport records related to Shani Tali.
The case is yet to be assigned a trial date.
KanyiDaily recalls that the Supreme Court previously issued a N40 million fine to Mike Ozekhome for filing what the court deemed frivolous and vexatious motions related to the Imo State governorship election..