FCT Court Summons Gbajabiamila Over Alleged Perjury

Funke AzeezJune 5, 2019

0 3 minutes read

Femi Gbajabiamila has been summoned by a court in the FCT over alleged perjury just days before he is due to contest for the position of Speaker of the 9th House of Representatives – The perjury case was filed against him by Action Peoples Party (APP) which claimed he had been lying to INEC is his forms to the electoral body since 2003

The party claimed Gbajabiamila failed to mention that he was allegedly convicted of a crime by a Georgia Supreme Court when he was a lawyer in the United States of America Majority leader of the House of Representatives in the outgoing 8th National Assembly Femi Gbajabiamila, has been summoned to appear before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) court. The Cable reports that the court summoned Gbajabiamila over a lawsuit filed against him by the Action Peoples Party (APP) seeking to disqualify him from the speakership race over alleged perjury.

The party alleged that Gbajabiamila committed perjury in the CF001 form he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019. APP claimed Gbajabiamila lied to INEC that he had never been convicted by a court of law when, as a lawyer, he was reportedly convicted by the supreme court of Georgia, US, and sentenced to 36 months disbarment for fraud. Gbajabiamila was said to have closed down his law office in America and returned to Nigeria shortly after the court verdict.

“We call on all members-elect of the house of representatives to stand up to be counted as their first official duty will be to ensure that a person who the Supreme Court of the State of Georgia has convicted for the offence of willful dishonesty and who lied under oath in his INEC Form CF001 is not elected as Speaker of the House of Representatives,” APP’s Ikenga Ugochinyere said in a statement.

Femi Gbajabiamila, majority leader of the house of representatives, was reportedly charged to court and found guilty of violating the rules of the bar of Georgia state in the US.

According to Sahara Reporters, Gbajabiamila, a lawyer, admitted to withholding $25,000 his client received as damage to personal injury claims.

He was said to have been prosecuted before the Supreme Court of Georgia in February, 2007.

The lawmaker, who is contesting for speaker of the house of representatives, has been recently accused with allegations of fraud.

His campaign organisation, however, denied the allegations on Wednesday. Abdulmumin Jibrin, his campaign spokesman, said the lawmaker has never been accused of corruption talk less being convicted anywhere in the world,

But Sahara Reporters has uploaded a copy of the judgement of the supreme court of Georgia, detailing Gbajabiamila’s case.

The judgement read: “This disciplinary matter is before the Court on the Respondent Femi Gbaja’s Petition for Voluntary Discipline which was filed under Bar Rule 4-227 (b) (2) before a formal complaint was issued. In his petition, Gbaja admits violating Rule 1 .l 5 ( l) of the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct set forth in Bar Rule 4-102 (d). Although a violation of this rule is punishable by disbarment. Gbaja requests the imposition of a 24-month suspension. He agrees. however to accept a suspension of up to 36 months. The State Bar has no objection to the acceptance of Gbaja’s petition so long as the suspension is no less than 36 months in duration.

“Gbaja, who has only been a member of the Bar since 2001. admits that he accepted payment of $25,000 as settlement of a client’s personal injury claims, deposited those funds in his attorney trust account in January 2003, failed to promptly disburse those funds to his client. withdrew those funds for his own use. closed his practice and moved out of the country. Although Gbaja ultimately paid the $25,000 to his client in 2006. he admits his conduct violated Rule HS (1) and that. as a result, he is subject to disbarment. In mitigation of his actions, Gbaja asserts that he has cooperated fully with disciplinary authorities, repaid his client, and is extremely remorseful for the consequences of his conduct. Under these circumstances, we conclude that a 36-month suspension is an appropriate sanction. Accordingly, Gbaja hereby is suspended for a period of 36 months. He is reminded of his duties under Bar Rule 4-219(c).”

The Cable looked up Gbajabiamila’s profile on the website of the State Bar of Georgia where it was stated that he is under “administrative suspension (licence fees).” It stated this to mean “member who has not paid license fees for a period of no less than one or greater than five consecutive bar years; not eligible to practice law in Georgia, but eligible for reinstatement by specific steps mandated in bar rules, but will not be required to take bar exam to reinstate.”