BY SIMON EBEGBULEM

BENIN CITY— THE Federal High Court sitting in Benin, yesterday, struck out the suit filed against the former Governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The court, in its ruling that lasted over an hour, said it would amount to “double jeopardy” to hear the case against the former governor after an Enugu State High Court had, in 2008, ruled on the matter and convicted the former governor.

Trial judge in the matter,  Justice Adamu Hobom, berated EFCC for filing fresh charges against the governor after the commission had entered a plea bargain with Igbinedion, which led to the former governor forfeiting some property and refunding N3 million to the commission.

But Igbinedion’s Personal Assistant, Mr Patrick Eboigbodin and his younger brother, Michael Igbinedion, were not lucky, as the court ordered that they should be remanded in prison custody pending the hearing of the application for bail which is expected to be filed by their counsel, Ricky Tarfa, SAN, tomorrow.

It will be recalled that the commission had filed 66-count-charge of corruption and misappropriation of state funds against Igbinedion during his tenure as Governor of Edo State between 1999 and 2007. Others charged with Igbinedion included Eboigbodin, Michael Igbinedion, Gava Corporation, Romrig Nigeria Limited, PML Securities Company Limited and PML (Nigeria) Limited.

Justice Hobom held that it would be immoral in law to commence a fresh trial on the charges against Igbinedion after he was convicted by the Federal High Court in Enugu.

However, the judge declared that Michael Igbinedion, Eboigbodin and four others had cases to answer with the court since they failed to make themselves available for trial at the Enugu Federal High where Igbinedion was convicted.

Following his ruling, EFCC’ counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, asked the court to remand Eboigbodin and Michael in prison custody since they would be facing criminal charges. He further urged the court to reject the oral application made by Tarfa, which appealed to the court to grant the accused persons bail after he recalled that the accused persons had in 2008 jumped bail.