The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has adjourned hearing on the case brought by Miden Systems Limited against Sterling Bank Ltd, indefinitely.
The decision was taken after the bank’s representatives informed the committee about an order of the Federal High Court, Lagos, restraining all relevant agencies from investigating the bank.
Adegboyega Adewemo, who represented the bank, had urged the Committee to adjourn the matter indefinitely based on the restraining order from court.
Opposing the application, counsel to Miden Systems Ltd, Malachy Nwaekpe Esq, said the court could not stop a completed act, adding that the court ought not to seek to stop both the National Assembly and the Police from doing their work.
However, the Chairman of the Committee, Mike Etaba, said the application cited by the bank was wrong as the matter was for presentation of a report of the concluded police investigation, which “indicted” the bank, saying there was nothing to restrain.
“The only thing I will say is for us to exercise patience; what they are challenging are Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution. Until the matters are vacated in a few weeks, we’ll get back to the matter,” Etaba said.
Other members of the committee, Matthew Nwogu and Okey Onuakalusi, both condemned the attempt to restrain the work of the legislature by the judiciary, saying it is a breach of sections 88 and 89 of the Nigerian Constitution.
“When we ask them to come and testify here and they run to court, it is an admission of guilt. This House is not going to allow it,” Onuakalusi said.
The Nigeria Police Force recently forwarded a report of its investigation to the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions during the hearing of a petition by Miden Systems and its CEO, Dr Brendan Innocent Usoro.
The Committee noted that the report of the police investigation into allegations of deductions from accounts of Miden Systems Limited with the Sterling Bank Ltd indicted the bank.
