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Controversy Trails Charge Sheet Used for Prosecuting NAPO Officials

By Kristina Reports

Jun 7, 2023

A charge sheet, PMC/1694c/2022 presented by Daewoo Engineering and Construction Nigeria Limited to the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has come under scrutiny due to claims that it may have been forged.

The document, which has the Commissioner of Police versus the National Association of Plant Operators, as plaintiff and respondent, respectively, is being bandied about by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) as an instrument it was using to prosecute some officials of the National Association of Plants Operators (NAPO).

But NAPO has raised alarm that the document is fake citing discrepancies identified on the document.

Its President General, Harold Benstowe claims the number on the document was handwritten which he said was strange given that the extant practice direction in the Rivers State Judiciary is predicated on e-filing, which has charge sheet numbers generated from a computerised system.

He accused the Police of forgery, saying there was no such case against him and the association as at 2022 as indicated on the suspicious charge sheet, insisting that checks by NAPO at the Magistrate Court Registry shows there was no such charge sheet.  

But reacting to the claim when contacted by Kristin Reports, the lawyer representing the Police, Eniyepere Sikpi, who also signed the said document, dismissed the claim by NAPO, asserting that the case was ongoing before a Rivers State Magistrate Court sitting in Port Harcourt presided over by Amadi Nna.

Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, Polycarp Nwonyi

When contacted on the matter, the Public Relations Officer of the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said she could not make a statement on the status of the said document, promising to check with Legal Department.

Checks by Kristina Reports at the Magistrate Court Registry shows that there is no record of such charge, with same charge sheet number.

Kristina Reports later sighted a letter with the heading “GOVERNMENT OF RIVERS STATE OF NIGERIA, THE JUDICIARY”, reference number, “Ref: RS/JUD/Vol.1/…..”, dated June 5, 2023 and signed by one “Jumbo Edene, Principal Registrar 1, Magistrate Court Registry, Port Harcourt”, which was addressed to “The Head Office, NAPO, No. 19 Foundation Road, Oyigbo LGA, Rivers State”.

Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Amadi

The letter reads in part:

Sir,

APPLICATION FOR VERIFICATION AND AUTHENTICATION OF THE CHARGE NO: PMC/1694C/2022 BETWEEN THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE VS. HAROLD BENSTOWE & 3 OTHERS

It is confirmed that the above suit is authentic but the said suit is PMC/694C/2022 and not PMC/1694C/2022 and before Chief Magistrate A. O. Amadi-Nna Esq., in Port Harcourt Magistrate Court 10.

I hope this will suffice for your purpose, Sir.”

Checks by Kristina Reports with some legal practitioners was hazy as some indicated that there was something obviously wrong with the said document while others differed.

One of the lawyers, who spoke off record, insisted that the document was a proper charge sheet filed by the Commissioner of Police, through the Legal Officer, Eniyepere Sikpi.  

Asked to verify the document, another lawyer, who preferred to remain anonymous, said it is not a proper charge sheet because it does not carry the court stamp as a proper charge sheet should neither is it properly documented.

He added that it is curious that the said charge sheet has the heading of the Magistrate Court but signed the Police lawyer and addressed to be served on another lawyer, querying how a lawyer, instead of a magistrate, would sign a charge sheet supposedly emanating from the court.

1 Comment

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