BY TONY EDIKE

ENUGU- Enugu State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Anthony Ani, has dismissed as unfounded and untrue allegations by Chairman of Nsukka Branch of Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Prof Malachy Ukwueze, that he intended to use his office to interfere in the trial of the chairmanship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Saturday’s local government election for Igbo Eze North council, Mr Bonaventure Onuh.

Prof Ukwueze had been quoted by a national daily (not Vanguard) as claiming that Onuh was the Attorney General’s client when he (AG) was in private practice and that he has now indicated his intention to stop Onuh’s trial for an alleged attempt to kidnap the Branch Manager of Bank PHB, Mr Kevin Ezeja in 2009.

However, in a statement yesterday, the Attorney- General expressed shock at the allegation declaring that not only was Mr Onuh never his client when he was in private practice but at no time did he indicate any intention to stop the trial as alleged by the Nsukka NBA Chairman.

He said: “Let me state very clearly that Mr Bonaventure Onuh was never my client while I was in private practice and has no such relationship with my law firm even now. I am not, and have never been interested in any particular case as the Attorney General of Enugu State”.

Ani said all he could recall about the case was that there was petition by counsel to one of the accused persons in the case referred to in the publication on the basis of which, he directed that the information already filed be withdrawn and the case referred to the police for further investigation.

He added that contrary to Professor Ikwueze’s claim, no Lawyer has up till now, applied for or been granted fiat to prosecute the case adding that he was surprised to read that one Mr Eli Ugwu has been given fiat to prosecute the case.

Expressing reservation at the manner the Nsukka NBA Chairman rushed to the press without checking his facts, the Attorney General assured the public that the Enugu State Government has zero tolerance for any form of criminal activities “and will stop at nothing” to ensure that any person no matter how highly placed, involved in any criminal activity, will be fully prosecuted through his office.