Breaking: Supreme Court clears Orubebe of false asset declaration

The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, has no case to answer in the Federal Government’s appeal to overturn the Court of Appeal’s decision which cleared him of false assets declaration.

Recall that the Federal Government had in 2015, arraigned Orubebe for not disclosing a piece of property in Abuja, which the former minister claimed he had sold in the asset declaration forms submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him.

Orubebe said he did not declare the plot of land as his asset in 2011 because he had sold it to his landlord before he made the last asset declaration while leaving office.

But the Code of Conduct Tribunal ordered that the property which the former minister failed to declare, be forfeited to the Federal Government.

However, Orubebe challenged the tribunal’s judgment at the Court of Appeal and the appellate court reversed the tribunal’s judgement.

The Federal Government, not satisfied with the appellate court’s decision, filed an appeal at the apex court.

Justice Emmanuel Agim of the Supreme Court said the appeal was incompetent.

He said, “The appeal is incompetent. Prior leave of court was not obtained to file a mixed fact of law. It is hereby struck out. “