Details As Elumelu Ridicules Senator Akinyelure’s Allegation Of Fraud In Liquidation Of Nitel As Baseless & Mischievous
Tony Elumelu has reacted to allegations of wrongdoing in the liquidation of Nitel slammed on him and the United Bank for Africa (UBA) by Senator Ayo Akinyelure.
Akinyelure linked Elumelu and UBA – the Bank he is Chairman of – to an alleged N40Billion fraud in the Liquidation of Nitel but Elumelu insists the damning allegation is “peddling of falsehood and misinformation with ulterior motives.”
Senator Akinyelure made the allegation as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges and Public Petitions looking into the process of the liquidation of Nitel.
Elumelu who reacted to the “Baseless and Mischievous” allegation through his lawyers R.A Lawal- Rabana (SAN) and Kemi Balogun (SAN) explained circumstances surrounding the alleged fraud are subject of a case pending at the Supreme Court and this development was made known to the Committee chaired by Akinyelure when Elumelu appeared before it.
According to the statement, because it is subjudice and the Committee can not debate a case before the court it was resolved that all actions on the matter be suspended.
The statement asserted that it is shocking and sacrilegious that the matter is now a subject of debate.
The Senior lawyers on behalf of Elumelu demand “an immediate open, public, unreserved retraction” of the statement and “and” apology for the “false allegation and defamation.”
The Senior lawyers threaten “appropriate legal actions” if the conditions are not met within 7days.
Here is the reaction by Elumelu’s lawyers.
False malicious publications by Senator Ayo Akinyelure against UBA PLC and its chairman, Mr. Tony O. Elumelu, CON
We write on behalf of Mr Tony Elumelu CON (Our client) whose attention has been drawn to several false online publications credited to Senator Ayo Akinyelure, chairman of the senate committee on ethics, privileges and public relations alleging to the involvement of UBA and indictment of Mr Elumelu In a 41,000,000,000 (Fourty-one billion) fraud relating to NITEL in liquidation.
Our client is shocked by this false, baseless, and mischievous allegation as neither him or any of the organisations associated with him has ever been involved in or indicted for any fraud as was falsely alleged by Senator Ayo Akinyelure.
Our client is also alarmed and appalled by this deliberate peddling of falsehood and misinformation against an unblemished personal and business reputation, painstakingly built by our clients over several decades with great personal sacrifices and unquestionable integrity.
Our client rejects Senator Akinyelure’s attempt to use the platform of the respected institution of the Senate of the Federal republic of Nigeria to accomplish whatever ulterior motives he may have.
It is important to emphasize that when UBA appeared before the Senate committee on ethics, privileged and public relations, attention was drawn to the fact that the facts and circumstances leading to the dispute on the alleged financial indebtness was pending before the supreme court in the SC/CV/112/2020. It was resolved that given the pendency of the matter at the Supreme Court, it was sub-judice and all actions on the matter be suspended. It is shocking and sacrilegious that the matter pending at the Apex court could be subjected to debate contrary to the rules of the Senate and by extension, the principle of law that when a matter is sub-judice, it should not be subjected to debate before a decision is reached by the court. Therefore, the publications ascribed to Senator Ayo Akinyelure is in total disregard of the Rules of the Senate and The Rule of Law.
Our client has instructed us to, and we have demanded an open, public, and unreserved retraction of the said statement credited to Senator Akinyelure and an apology from Senator Akinyelure for this false allegation and defamation of our client.
We have our client’s further instruction to take all appropriate legal action against Senator Ayo Akinyelure and his media agents if our above stated demand is not met within seven (7) days of their receipt of our demand letter.
Source: societynow.ng
