The Court of Appeal sitting in Benin Edo State has dismissed an appeal filed by a Deputy Suprintendent of Police, Temple Nwankwoala against his conviction of seven years without option of fine secured by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission(ICPC) for demanding and receiving bribe.
A statement by Folu Olamiti
Resident Consultant ( Media& Event) said the appellant was, in January 2012, convicted of demanding for N1million and receiving N500,000 from a suspect in a case he was investigating when he was serving in the office of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in Benin.
The act was in violation of Sections 19 and 23 of the ICPC Act 2000 which earned Nwankwoala seven years imprisonment with hard labour.
Dissatisfied with the judgement Nwankwoala filed an appeal through his counsel, Ken Mozia, SAN seeking to determine whether the case against him was proved beyond reasonable doubt and whether the ICPC Act under which he was tried is a valid law.
In the lead judgement delivered by Justice H A Barka on Monday, February 23, 2015, the Appeal Court resolved both issues in favour of the respondent ICPC and ordered the appellant to complete his sentence.
The other two judges on the appeal Court panel, Justice E A Ogakwu and Justice I M Saulawa concurred with the lead Judgement.