THE Chairman of Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu, has given the Chairman, Senate Committee on Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Ayo Akinyelure, seven days ultimatum to retract a statement indicting him (Elumelu) in an alleged N41 billion fraud or face court action.
The ultimatum was given in a letter, on Monday, by Elumelu’s lawyers to the lawmaker.
The business mogul, who is also the Chairman of Tony Elumelu Foundation, and United Bank for Africa Plc, also demanded a public apology from the Senator.
The lawmaker had reportedly claimed that Elumelu was indicted in a N41 billion fraud when he was the Managing Director of UBA.
“The N41billion alleged fraud was committed against the defunct Telecommunication company and National Carrier, NITEL. The said sum was withdrawn systematically from NITEL for nine years under Tony Elemelu’s watch and two other former Managing Directors of United Bank for Africa,” he reportedly said.
Based on a petition by counsel to NITEL, J.U Ayogu, and Co, the Senate Committee has already summoned the Group Managing Director of UBA, Kennedy Uzoka, to appear before the committee on August 5, 2020.
In their letter, Elumelu’s lawyers, Lawal Rabana and Oluwakemi Balogun, described the allegation as a deliberate peddling of falsehood and misinformation against “an unblemished personal and business reputation, painstakingly built by their client over several decades with great personal sacrifice and matchless integrity.”
“It is important to emphasise that when UBA appeared before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, attention was drawn to the fact that the facts and circumstances leading to the disputes on the alleged financial indebtedness were pending before the Supreme Court in SC/CV/112/2020,” the Senior Advocates said.
According to them, it was resolved that, given the pendency of the matter at the Supreme Court, it was sub-judice and all actions on the matter were suspended.
The counsels, however, said that it was “shocking and sacrilegious that a matter pending at the apex court could be subjected to debate contrary to the rules of the Senate and by extension, the principle of law that when a matter is sub-judice, it should not be subjected to debate before a decision is reached by the Court.”
“The publications ascribed to Senator Ayo Akinyelure is in total disregard of the Rules of Senate and the Rule of Law,” they added.
Elumelu, through his lawyers, therefore demanded an immediate, open, public, and “unreserved retraction of the said statements credited to Senator Akinyelure as well as an apology from Senator Akinyelure for this false allegation and defamation.”
“We have our client’s further instruction to take all appropriate legal actions against Senator Akinyelure and his media agents if our above-stated demand is not met within seven days of their receipt of our demand letter,” the lawyers declared.
