The Presidential Election Petition Court, on Tuesday in Abuja admitted in evidence, a United States of America (USA) District Court judgment which ordered forfeiture of $460,000 in some US bank accounts linked to him in a drug related offences.
The Certified True Copy of the judgment was tendered by the Labour Party and Peter Obi through one of the party’s witness, Lawrence Nwakaeti, during the hearing on Obi’s petition against Tinubu on Tuesday.
Paragraphs 28-31 of the petition by Obi and LP is hinged the alleged disqualification of the 2nd respondent (Tinubu) on a decision of the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division in case No 93C-4483 delivered on October 4, 1993.
Other documents certified and tendered by Obi’s counsel and admitted by the court include; EC9 and EC9 substitute which are vice presidnet Kashim Shettima’s normative and withdrawal documents.
EC11A, and EC11C, including all accompanied receipts.
All respondents objected against admission of the US judgment but reserved the objections to final address stage.
Under cross examination, Pinheiro Adekunle, counsel to INEC questioned the witness on the number of books he has written on law and litigation on constitutional law, if he had appeared before to the supreme Court in any constitutional matter, in a bid to ascertain if the witness has the capacity to give opinion on the documents tendered by Obi’s counsel.
Justice Haruna Tsammani however said the witness was a lawyer called to bar and the questions by the 1st respondent are not relevant.
Under cross examination by Wole Olanipekun lead counsel to President Tinubu, the witness admitted that the judgment was not registered in Nigeria.
He also admitted that there was no certificate from any Consular in Nigeria or America in support of the judgment but insisted that “the judgment speaks for itself.
Under cross examination by counsel to the APC, Lateef Fagbemi, the witness said that the American court judgment had no certificate given under the hand of any American Police Officer.
He denied knowledge of a February 4, 2003, Formal Clearance Report by Legal Attachee from American Embassy in respect of the alleged indictment and forfeiture.
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