Police probe Abia Rep over alleged forgery

Taiwo Adisa,Abuja - 05.03.2008

POLICE at the Force Headquarters in Abuja and the Abia Police Command have opened investigations into a petition alleging that a member of the House of Representatives representing Ukwa East Federal constituency, Honourable Emeka Stanley, allegedly tampered with documents belonging to the election petition tribunal in Umuahia.

The police commenced investigations into the matter on Monday after an invitation was extended to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2007 election, Mr. Uzoma Abonta.

Abonta was declared the winner of the election by the Abia election tribunal, but Hon. Stanley of the Progressive Peoples Party (PPA) had filed an appeal at the Appeal Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Counsel for Mr. Abonta had sent a petition before the Abia State police and the IGP, alleging that Hon. Stanley was guilty of forging some documents already presented to the tribunal for onward transfer to the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt.

The petition by KC Nwufor which was addressed to the IGP stated that Hon. Stanley of the PPA was guilty of conspiracy, tampering and forgery of exhibits in the election petition tribunal petition number ABS/NAHR/EPT/29/2007.

The counsel had requested that the IGP should ask the Abia state police command to forward a report of investigations to Abuja. The legislator however told our correspondent in a telephone interview that he was not guilty of forgery, adding that it was his lawyers who applied for some documents from the tribunal.

“I told the police in Umuahia that I did not have anything to do with the documents, I am not in charge of the registry but my lawyers applied for some documents and they were not part of the registry. I don’t know about any forgery,” Hon Stanley said.