Abia tribunal clerk in police net - For tampering with exhibits

Biola Azzez, Umuahia - 06.03.2008

A clerk with the Abia State election peti-tion tribunal was on Wednesday arrested by the Abia state police command for allegedly tampering with sensitive tribunal documents.

The clerk (names withheld) was arrested at the Umuahia High Court premises last Wednesday. He is alleged to have tampered with an exhibit tendered in evidence in one of the House of Representatives cases before the tribunal.

The clerk is said to be at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Umuahia and was said to be helping the Police in their investigation.

Nigerian Tribune learnt that the clerk, who was seconded to the tribunal from the Abia state Judiciary, got into trouble when he reportedly smuggled out a vital document in the custody of the tribunal for a respondent who is a member of the House of Representative whose election was nullified by the tribunal.

He was said to have secretly brought out the document and handed it over to his “client” unknown to him that he was being closely monitored.

Nigerian Tribune further learnt that while those who received the documents were away with it, those who saw the clerk rummaging through the heap of documents became suspicious and alerted the members of the tribunal o the development.