By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA—The Federal Government, yesterday, withdrew the N70 million bribery charge it filed against former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, sitting in Abuja.

At the resumed hearing in the matter, the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, Mr. Mohammed Diri, secured leave of the Justice Danladi Umar-led tribunal to withdraw the four-count corruption charge the government filed against Orubebe on October 8, 2015.

Diri told the panel that the government resolved to only prosecute the former minister on an amended one-count charge bordering on allegation that he had in 2007, made a false declaration of assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, contrary to section 15 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Cap. 15 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2014.

Following an application by the DPP, Justice Umar struck out the initial four-count charge.