The immediate past minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has said that the issue of his alleged involvement in fraud was subjudice,.
According to him, Governor Nyesom Wike’s government did not follow due diligence in complying with the tenet of the law in setting up a panel of enquiry.
He said: “I hope that the Rivers State governor has good lawyers because the Supreme Court said in their judgment, that he has powers to set up a panel and their work is to gather information concerning our dealings while in government and after they have finished gathering the information, they would pass the information to either ICPC, the Police or EFCC.
“The police have not invited me, neither ICPC nor EFCC. There is what we call fair hearing. They have not heard my side of the story and they went to court to do what? Something must be giving him (state governor) confidence.”
According to him, the Supreme Court in her judgment had ruled that before the Rivers State government could approach the court, they must send the outcome of the panel to the investigating bodies.
Speaking on the suits seeking to remove Tonye Cole as the APC governorship candidate in the state over involvement in the alleged $50 million fraud, the Ex-Minister said that only the court can sack Cole as APC candidate.
He said: “One of the grounds, which they are claiming is that Tonye is in court on an allegation of embezzling N96 billion. First of all, until he is indicted by a court, you cannot disqualify him and only a court can disqualify him.
“The strategy of the other party is to build fear in our supporters and our dear voters in Rivers State that his name will not be on the ballot and that they should not waste their time. We are not God and court, we believe that the court will look at all the cases dispassionately.”