Less than 24 hours after a court ordered the return of his international passport, reprieve again came the way of suspended Central Bank Governor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi as a Federal High Court in Lagos imposed a restraining order on the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria from investigating him.
Justice J.T. Tsoho gave the order on Friday in a suit filed by the embattled Governor.
Friday’s order thus bars the FRCN from investigating Mr. Sanusi and the Central Bank, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
Though he was summoned, Sanusi refused to appear before the Council which was investigating him based on allegations of financial recklessness. He however wrote through his lawyer, Mr Kola Awodein, SAN to the Executive Secretary of FRCN, Jim Obazee, insisting that the invitation was not only done in bad faith, but was calculated to embarrass and disparage him..
Awodein had told the court that the Council’s report lacked integrity since the FRCN neither gave him fair hearing, nor allowed him the opportunity to respond to the weighty allegations contained in the Briefing Note to the President.
He also said a review of Sections 7, 8, 11, 25, 28, 58(2) and 62 of the FRC Act 2011 revealed that the Council lacked the authority and powers to conduct the investigation it was seeking to undertake. The case has been adjourned to April 11.
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