A former Deputy Speaker and currently member of the Plateau State House of Assembly, representing Jos-North Constituency, Honourable Ibrahim Baba Hassan, has been arraigned before Honourable Justice J.U.A Musale of High Court 31 of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, sitting in Jabi.
He was brought before the court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, for allegedly submitting a forged academic qualification to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to contest in the 2015 State Assembly elections.
Baba Hassan, who is presently a 3-time member of the state Assembly, reportedly forged a Diploma cerificate in Business Administration of the University of Jos, dated November 1996, and falsely inserted his name as one of the graduands in the “Order of Proceedings of the 19th Combined Convocation Ceremony” of the said university held on 26th and 27th April 2002 which he presented to ICPC investigators.
The lawmaker was arraigned on a 5-count charge of offences bordering on forgery, lying under oath, intent to cause damage to the public and making false statement with the intention to mislead.
In a Charge No: CR/136/17, the defendant was accused of committing the offences contrary to Section 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, sections 157, 164, 363,366 of Penal Code Laws of the FCT and punishable under Section 68 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and sections 158 and 364 of the Penal Code.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him and his lawyer, Solomon E. Umoh, SAN, applied orally for the court to grant his client bail based on self-recognition.
According to Solomon, his client did not show any recalcitrant attitude throughout the course of investigation.
On the other hand, the lawyer to the ICPC, Agbili Ezenwa Kingsley, opposed the relief sought by the defence, arguing that the accused, as a political office-holder, could be recalled by his constituents at any time and would lose his privileged status. Kingsley therefore prayed the court to grant the accused stringent bail conditions that would compel him to appear for hearings no matter the circumstances.
The trial judge, having listened to the submissions of both parties, ruled that the administrative bail which was granted to the accused person by ICPC should subsist.
He adjourned the case to July 3rd, 2017 for commencement of hearing.
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