The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) of Delta State Ministry of Justice, Mr Anthony Orhorhoro has been accused of gross abuse of office and unauthorised use of authority to secure the bail of a convict, Fidelis Ishie pending an appeal.
The accusation was made by Chief Benson Oyemogum of Ebedei-Uno Town, Ukwani Local Government Area, Delta State, the complainant in the suit with Charge No: MOB/50C/2020: C.O.P. VS FIDELIS ISHIE filed in 2020, bordering on criminal blackmail and publication of falsehood against him contrary to the criminal codes.
Chief Oyemogum told NewsNet Nigeria that the prosecution of the matter, which lasted for four years to get justice was prosecuted by the legal department of the Delta State Police Command, Asaba, to a conclusion with the Magistrate Court Obiaruku on May 2, 2024, delivering judgment with the Court convicting Mr Fidelis Ishie on the said offences of criminal blackmail and publication of falsehood and sentenced him to two years imprisonment without an option of fine and was remanded at the Agbor Federal Correctional Centre in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State.
He accused the Delta State DPP of intimidating the Police lawyer to withdraw from the matter and on May 14, 2024, at Magistrate Court Obiaruku announced himself as the one conducting the proceedings on behalf of the Commissioner for Police and that he was acting under the powers of the Honourable Attorney General in Section 211(1) of the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999, as amended.
Chief Oyemogum alleged that Delta State DPP withdrew the counter affidavit to the bail application filed by the Police lawyer and informed the Court that he was not opposed to the grant of bail to the Convict pending appeal.
According to Chief Oyemogum the Delta State DPP canvassed strongly before the court for the Convict to be granted bail and that the Convict who had been coming to Court regularly in the last two years and in good health had only within nine days of his conviction developed cardiac-related ailment.
He said Delta State DPP practically took over the case of the Defendant and the Magistrate, in the face of the DPP’s position, allegedly granted the Convict bail pending appeal within nine days of conviction.
Chief Oyemogum alleged further that the convict is now walking freely, with no ailment and bragging of his connection with the DPP and that the DPP will not equally oppose his appeal and his conviction will be set aside.
He accused a State Counsel, who works directly under the Delta State DPP of procuring the DPP to come and do the hatchet job of securing the bail of a convict pending a bail application adding that the entire involvement of the DPP in the matter was a product of corrupt practices and gross abuse of the powers of his office.
Chief Oyemogum, who availed NewsNet Nigeria with the Certified True Copy, CTC, of the judgment and the proceedings of May 14, 2024, has therefore appealed to relevant authorities to take prompt action to restore his confidence in the judicial system of Nigeria.
Efforts by this medium to reach the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) of Delta State Ministry of Justice, Mr Anthony Orhorhoro on his mobile number for comments was unsuccessful.
