Gov. Ayo Fayose
In a letter dated July 8, 2016, Mike Ozekhome, the counsel to Ekiti
State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has replied Aisha Buhari, the wife of
President Muhammadu Buhari, through her counsel, Mary Ekpere & Co,
justifying the governor’s claim that Mrs. Buhari was mentioned in the Halliburton scandal.
Governor Fayose's counsel affirmed that the statement made
regarding the involvement of Mrs. Buhari in the Halliburton scandal was
“correct and justified in law, having regards to a court judgment
convicting one Mr William Jefferson for bribery in the Halliburton
case”, and having been factually premised on an existing court judgment.
The letter read; “Our client has referred to us your letter
dated 22nd June, 2016, on alleged defamation of the character of your
client, Her Excellency, Mrs Aisha Buhari, the wife of Muhammadu Buhari,
GCFR, with firm instructions to reply to and reject same in its entirety.
“Our client states and reaffirms categorically that the
statement he made as regards the involvement of Mrs Aisha Buhari, the
wife of President Buhari, in the Halliburton scandal, is correct and
justified in law; having regards to a court judgement convicting one Mr
William Jefferson for bribery in the Halliburton case.
“Therein, the name of the President’s wife featured
conspicuously. At page 22 of the said judgment delivered by the United
State District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria Division,
USA, in criminal No 1: 07CR209, the said Mr William Jefferson
was sentenced at 9.00 am on November 13, 2009, by Mark D, Lytle. Your
client, Mrs Aisha Buhari was specifically mentioned in the judgment. The
judge referred to Exhibits 36-87 in the following words, for
clarification;
“See also Government Exhibits 36-87 (6/26/02 $170,000 wire
transfer from account in Nigeria in the name of Aisha Buhari to an
account in the name of The ANJ Group, LLC, identifying “William
Jefferson” as Beneficiary)… Given the age of the defendant, the severity
of the sentence calculated by the Probation Office, the defendant’s
frequent travel overseas and unexplained wire transfers from overseas
locations to financial accounts used by the defendant, the defendant
cannot rebut the presumption at sentencing that he is a risk of flight.
“The said Williams Jefferson is currently serving a jail term
in the USA and to the best of our client’s knowledge; this judgment has
not been challenged, or set aside by any Appellate court of law
anywhere in the world.
“The statement of His Excellency, our client, is therefore
correct and justified, same having been factually premised on an
existing court judgment above referred to.”
On the immunity enjoyed by Governor Fayose against civil and criminal proceedings, Ozekhome said:
“Your attention is also hereby drawn to Section 308 of the Constitution
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as altered, on the immunity
enjoyed by our client from civil or criminal proceedings for the period
that he occupies the office of the governor of Ekiti State.
“You may therefore advise your client to wait until after 16th
October, 2018, when our client’s tenure expires. When that happens, we
shall join issues with your client in a competent court of law, in the
event that your client does not have a change of heart.”
Source: Premium Times
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