Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has petitioned the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) to investigate her colleague, Edo South Senator Neda Imasuen, over his alleged disbarment from practising law in the United States.
Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan also accused Mr Imasuen of disobeying a court order restraining the Senate, Ethics Privileges and Public Petitions Committee, which he chairs, from investigating her for alleged misconduct during the 20 February plenary.
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Imasuen’s disbarment in the US
PREMIUM TIMES had reported that Mr Imasuen, a trained lawyer and member of the Labour Party (LP), was permanently barred from practising law in the US by the Supreme Court of New York.
The disbarment was specifically based on allegations that Mr Imasuen abandoned a legal matter after receiving payment from a client, Daphne Slyfield.
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Following a petition by Mr Slyfield, a judicial grievance committee found Mr Imasuen guilty of professional misconduct, including misappropriation of client funds and failure to respond to disciplinary authorities.
As a result, an order was issued on 11 May 2010 to revoke Mr Imasuen’s legal licence in New York.
Despite this, Mr Imasuen concealed his disbarment while pursuing a political career in Nigeria before he got elected into the Senate and appointed chairperson of the ethics committee, a role that demands high ethical standards.
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Allegations of non-disclosure
In her petition, Mr Akpoti-Uduaghan argued that Mr Imasuen failed to disclose his disbarment in official documents, including his FORM EC-9 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
She expressed concern regarding the omission, arguing that it showed Mr Imasuen does not have the eligibility to hold a position that requires “unimpeachable integrity.”
“in the petition, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan said, ” That despite this disbarment which was hinged on unethical conduct, the respondent failed to disclose this sanction both in the legal profession and political space, as a senator and was eventually made the chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, a position requiring unimpeachable integrity.
“That the respondent did not remotely disclose his disbarment either in his FORM EC-9-Particulars of Personal information submitted to INEC on oath.”
She also submitted a report from People’s Gazette detailing Mr Imasuen’s disbarment and a U.S. court document confirming his disbarment as exhibits.
Contempt of court
Beyond the disbarment issue, Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan also accused Mr Imasuen of contempt of court for disregarding a judicial order.
She stated that on 4 March, the Federal High Court in Abuja issued an interim order restraining the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions from investigating her over alleged misconduct during a plenary session on 20 February.
Despite receiving the court order on 5 March, she said Mr Imasuen proceeded with the investigation where the committee recommended her six-month suspension from the Senate.
She argued that this act defied the authority of the judiciary and violated the principle of the rule of law.
However, a few days later, Obiora Egwuatu, a judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, vacated its earlier order, stopping the investigation after considering arguments from both parties in the suit.
Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan, however, didn’t mention this in her petition to the legal practitioners disciplinary committee.
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