A former House of Representatives member, Chuma Nzeribe, will on March 21 face judgment in the criminal charges of impersonation and cheating brought against him by the Federal Government.
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja will on the date deliver judgment in a four counts against the former federal lawmaker.
Nzeribe, a former governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in Anambra State was put on trial by the Federal Government on charges bordering on impersonation, possession of false Federal Government documents and using same to cheat.
Although, judgment was fixed for March 11 by Justice Halilu Yusuf, the former lawmaker was however absent in court.
His lawyer, Charles Ndukwe, told the Judge that a relation of his client sent a letter that the former House of Representatives member was down with chronic hypertension.
The letter from Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital and dated March 10 was presented in court.
In the drama that ensued over the source of the letter, the judge directed the lawyer to contact his client on phone to know how long it will take him to recover.
However, following the inability of the counsel to give a categorical date, Justice Yusuf fixed March 21 with an order that the defendant must be physically present in court for the judgment to be delivered.
Shortly after the adjustment, counsel for the former lawmaker challenged the presence of newsmen in court.
The legal practitioner, who was visibility angry with newsmen, queried their interest in covering the trial of his client.
One of the charges against Nzeribe read, “That you Hon. Chuma Nzeribe, sometime in March, 2013 at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did have in your possession a document containing false pretence to wit: Re: Application for Statutory Right of Occupancy within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja with reference Number MFCT/LA/FCT 1302 dated 18/06/03, bearing the name of Ramatu Alhassan and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6, 8(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other fraud related offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
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