By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA— Trial of the erstwhile Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, over allegation that he falsely declared his assets in 2007, kicked off on a dramatic note, yesterday, as his lawyer, Mr. Larry Selekeowei, SAN, exchanged hot words with the Justice Danladi Umar-led panel of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT.

The clash followed moves by the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, Mr. Mohammed Diri, to tender into evidence the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) and the Right of Occupancy (R of O), of Plot  2057, Asokoro District Abuja, which Orubebe was said to have failed to declare as his property.

The DPP had, through the star witness the Federal Government brought to testify against the former minister, Mr. Samuel Madojemu, who is an investigative officer at the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, attempted to tender the documents into evidence.

Meanwhile, the war-of-words ensued at a point Orubebe’s lawyer was adducing reasons the documents and an accompanying letter from the Federal Capital Territory Department of Land Administration, should not be admitted into evidence.

Mid way into his submission, one of the judges on the CCT panel, Mr. Agwaza Atedze, interjected and asked the defence lawyer to streamline his argument to specific contents of the document before the tribunal.

The remark infuriated Mr. Selekeowei, who reprimanded the judge for unduly interfering with his submission.

He said: “Why are you interjecting in my submission like this? I am making a point, you have not even allowed me to land. You are interfering with this proceeding and it is wrong.

“You are the judge, you should allow me to make my submission while you rule. Allow me do my work, yours is to be neutral. Why are you doing this?”

Effort by Chairman of the CCT panel, Justice Umar to pacify Orubebe’s lawyer proved abortive as he kept shouting “I am making a submission and someone is interfering and you expect me to keep quite, that cannot happen.”

“I apologise, though I still insist that it was wrong for anyone to interject like that,” Selekeowei said.