A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, adjourned proceedings in the N228.4 million forfeiture case against the former governor of Abia state, Theodore Orji till April 7.
The trial Judge, Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned proceedings in the matter following the inability of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to publish the interim forfeiture order of the sum of over N228.4 million linked to Orji.
Justice Nwite had, on January 3, granted an order of temporary freezing of the funds to the Federal Government following allegations of money laundering.
The Judge, in that ruling on an ex-parte motion moved by the EFCC’s lawyer, Fadila Yusuf, also directed the Commission to make publication of the order on its website and Daily Trust Newspaper and further directed that interested parties should show cause within 14 days of the publication of the order why the money should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
When the matter was called on Thursday, counsel to the anti-graft agency, Fadila Yusuf, informed the court that the matter was slated for report of compliance with the January 3 order of the court and, however, regretted that the EFCC was yet to carry out the directive.
The lawyer hinged the delay on the inability of her office to access the order on time to enable them place the publication on their website and the newspaper and promised that the order would carried out on Monday.
Yusuf then sought an adjournment to enable the EFCC to do the needful and Justice Nwite, after listening to her submission, adjourned the matter till April 7 for report of compliance.