Court acquits ex-NIMASA DG, Omatseye, says it’s wrong to jail innocent person

An Appeal Court sitting in Lagos has reversed a jail sentence of former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Raymond Omatseye over N1.5bn.

The presiding judge, Yargata Nimpar, who read the decision of a court, explained that the High Court which tried the former DG did not properly evaluate the evidence before it.

Recall that a judge of the Lagos High Court, Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, on May 20, 2016, had sentenced Omatseye to five years in jail over an alleged N1.5bn contract scam.

Overturning the earlier ruling, Nimpar said, “The prosecution should not ride roughshod over the constitution.

“The judiciary will do the war on corruption more harm by declaring someone a criminal, where no offence has been committed.

“I find merit in the appeal. The conviction is hereby set aside and the appellant is hereby discharged and acquitted.”

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