Malabu Oil: Adoke petitions Italian minister over forgery of documents

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A former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) has petitioned the Italian Minister of Justice over alleged forgery of documents and interview by two prosecutors against him.

He said the two prosecutors were involved in the investigation and criminal proceedings against parties connected with Malabu Oil Block (OPL 245 Resolution Agreement).

He said the two prosecutors handled the criminal prosecution of ENI/Shell and others in a Milan Court.

He accused the prosecutors of alleged forgery of documents, interview against him in a Milan Court.

He said the prosecutors the Milan trial sought to conceal relevant facts with the aim of misleading the Milan court on the ownership of his property in Maitama Abuja which he acquired with a mortgage of N300 million.

He said the conduct of the prosecutors should be investigated and that they should be held accountable for their professional misconduct.

He said although he was not on trial before Milan Court, the prosecutors allegedly got involved in painting him with the tar of corruption.

Adoke’s petition, dated July 1st, 2021 was filed through his counsel, Mr. Femi Oboro of Gromyko Amedu Solicitors.

His petition reads in part: “On 22nd December 2016, the Office of the Public Prosecutor at the Court of Milan filed notice of the conclusion of investigation and commenced criminal proceedings against parties connected with the OPL 245 Resolution Agreement (reference Proc. No. 54772/13 R.G.N.R.). The injured party in the criminal trial was stated to be the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“During the criminal trial before the Court of Milan, the Public Prosecutor unlawfully engaged in acts of forgery of documents or evidence in aid of the prosecution’s case with several allegations of fact made against our client which were unsubstantiated at the trial.

“In furtherance of their personal interest and against public interest or the interest of justice, the Italian prosecutors mentioned above, engaged in the following unlawful acts, to wit:

“Engaging in unlawful acts of forgery by procuring and stage managing a phony telephone interview which purportedly took place between a certain Ms Carlamaria Rumor, said to be a staff of RAI Television in Italy and Mohammed Bello Adoke SAN, in November 2015.

Read Also: Fed Govt enjoined to expedite action on Malabu Oil scam

 

“It was alleged that our client granted the interview in November 2015 whilst in Nigeria, and further that the interview was conducted through his Nigerian mobile telephone number. Our client has since reacted to the purported telephone interview in the following words:

He said “as of 5 November 2015, when the conversation reportedly took place, I was at the Netherlands. Furthermore, I had stopped using a Nigerian telephone line as far back as August 2015.”

He also accused the prosecutors of concealing material facts from Milan Court.

The petition said: “The Public Prosecutors at the Milan trial sought to conceal relevant facts with the aim of misleading the Milan court on the ownership of the property described as No. 271, Cadastral Zone A06 Maitama, Abuja, for which our client had collected a mortgage of N300 million from Unity Bank Plc in 2011.

“According to our client, the property had been sold to the Central Bank of Nigeria by the developer because of our client’s inability to complete payment of the balance of the purchase price of N200 million and that the developer had since refunded the sum of N300 million secured as mortgage to the lender, Unity Bank Plc.

“Contrary to the above information available to the EFCC and the Public Prosecutors, Dr. Sergio Spadaro sought to mislead the Milanese court with the suggestions made in his exposition of the prosecution’s case and the defence before the Milanese courts to the effect that our client was the owner of the property and downplayed the legal effect of the mortgage.”

Adoke demanded the investigation of the prosecutors for alleged professional misconduct.

The petition added: “Our client has therefore instructed us to lodge a formal complaint against the Public Prosecutors (Fabio De Pasquale and Sergio Spadaro) for their unethical conduct.

“It should be noted that although our client was not on trial before the Milanese Court, the Italian Prosecutors went to unimaginable length to illegally procure forged evidence, engaged in deliberate suppression of exculpating evidence and continuously misled the Court with a view to painting him with the tar of corruption.

“This has caused our client his reputation globally, destroyed his source of livelihood and damaged his family life.

“Our client will rely on the entire records of the proceeding before the Milanese Court which x- rays the totality of the Public Prosecutors unethical and professional misconducts.

“It is therefore our client’s prayer that the conduct of these Prosecutors be investigated and that they be held accountable for their professional misconduct.”

 

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