Impeachment: Court begins hearing of Agbaso’s suit

A Federal High Court sitting in Owerri, Imo State will on Monday (today) begin hearing in a suit brought by the embattled Deputy Governor of Imo State, Sir Jude Agbaso, against the Imo State House of Assembly.
Agbaso is in court to contest the move by the state House of Assembly to impeach and remove him from office.
Agbaso is alleging lack of fair hearing in the process to impeach him.
He is alleged to have collected a bribe of N458 million from a contractor, J-Pros Limited, which is handling the construction of a road in the state.
Agbaso combines his duty as deputy governor with that of the Commissioner for Works.
In an originating motion, FHC/OW/174/2013, seeking to enforce his fundamental human rights, Agbaso, in the papers filed on March 14, 2013, said the Special Ad-hoc Committee that investigated the remote causes/abandonment of work on some roads in Owerri, Orlu and Okigwe, which indicted him, was biased and acted beyond its constitutional powers when it pronounced him guilty of a criminal offence and recommended his impeachment.
Agbaso wants the court to void his indictment and restrain the ongoing impeachment process initiated against him for breach of his fundamental rights.
The Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Hon Ben Uwajumogu, the Chairman and members of the Special Adhoc Committee, the Chief judge of Imo State and the Inspector General of Police are some of the respondents.