Court rejects Jonathan’s letterhead in Leadership journalists’ suit

A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Kubwa, on Tuesday rejected a plane letterhead of the office of President Goodluck Jonathan tendered by the Federal Government in the forgery suit instituted against two journalists with the Leadership newspaper.

The Leadership Group Limited, its Group News Editor, Mr. Tony Amokeodo, and a senior correspondent with the newspaper, Chibuzor Ukaibe, are facing 11 counts of forgery and conspiracy following the publication of the bromide of a presidential directive by the newspaper on April 3, 2013.

At the resumed hearing of the case on Wednesday, the prosecuting counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), sought to tender the plane letterhead in his bid to prove the forgery allegation against the accused.

But Justice Usman Musale rejected the document, upholding the contention of the defence counsel, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), who had argued that the exhibit was not admissible since it was certified by the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President instead of the office of the President itself.

Falana said, “What they sought to tender is a blank sheet of paper from the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President. Since the witness has said that he got a certified true copy from the Office of the Chief of Staff, he cannot tender it.

“He cannot seek to tender a letterhead paper from the Office of the Chief of Staff because there is dichotomy between the President and the Chief of Staff. The document in dispute is from the Office of the President and not from the office of the Chief of Staff. I urge the court to reject it in the interest of justice.”

Awomolo had sought to tender the document through a prosecution witness in the case, Mr. Ibrahim Bako, a police officer.

Bako had testified that the police received complaint about the case and that in the course of the investigation he went to the Presidency and met an assistant director, Abiye White, who gave him a blank letterhead paper from the office of the President.

He concluded that the published letter could not have emanated from the Presidency.

Bako added that the investigation revealed that the bromide and the Coat of Arms in the publication did not tally with the document he obtained from the Presidency.

At that point, Awomolo sought to tender a certified true copy of the letterhead paper which the witness said was obtained from the office of the President.

In response to Falana’s objection, Awomolo said it was misconceived.

He further argued that the document was from the officer who had custody of it.

“It is wrong to expect that the President will certify documents by himself,” Awomolo said.

But Justice Musale in his ruling rejected the document, saying that it could not be admitted as exhibit against the accused person.

The case has been adjourned to January 21, 2014.

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