The Supreme Court has dismissed an application for post-conviction bail brought by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta North) jailed for seven years on money laundering charges.
The Court of Appeal in Lagos had, in a judgment on July 1 last year convicted and sentenced Nwaoboshi on the charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Rather than serving the jail term, Nwaoboshi, who is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Delta North Senatorial District in Delta State in this year’s election, went underground.
While still in hiding, Nwaoboshi filed appeal against his conviction and sentence, along with the application with which he sought to be granted bail pending the determination of his appeal.
Ruling on Friday, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court, while dismissing the application, noted that Nwaoboshi’s conduct was a slap on democracy and rule of law.
Justice Emmanuel Agim, in the lead judgment, wondered why Nwaoboshi, who refused to submit himself to the law, was now seeking the indulgence of the law. Justice Agim noted that being serving Senator and a candidate of the APC for Senator Delta North Senatorial District ought to be an assurance that “he is law abiding and will readily submit to the authority of the law.”
-Nation
