FREEPRESS — A Chief Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti has ordered the State Commissioner of Police to arrest of former State Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Temitope Aluko over alleged perjury.
Chief Magistrate Adesoji Adegboye gave this order, Wednesday, upon a Motion Ex-parte number MAD/10cm/2016, filed by the Ekiti State Government against Mr Aluko and the State Commissioner of Police, pursuant to Section 117 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C16, law of Ekiti State 2012, Section 79 of the Ekiti State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2014 and Section 23 (D) of the Magistrates’ Courts Law 2014.
In the Motion, which was filed and moved by the State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mr Gbemiga Adaramola, an order of the court was sought to issue warrant of arrest against Mr Aluko to be executed by the State Commissioner of Police for the purpose of committing him (Aluko) for trial for the offence of perjury.
Issuing the warrant of arrest against Aluko, Chief Magistrate Adegboye said since the court had the power to grant the order and it will serve the interest of justice, the State Commissioner of Police should arrest Aluko for the purpose of investigating and prosecuting him.
Adegboye said the order was granted as a means for the first defendant (Aluko) to attend the court for defence. The matter was premised upon an application to the State Attorney General by a lawyer, Mr SundayOlowolafe, calling for the prosecution of Mr Aluko for alleged perjury.
“I hereby apply to your office that Dr Temitope Kolawole Aluko be arrested and sued for perjury in view of the interview recently granted on Channels Television by 8:00pm on Sunday 31 January, 2016,” Olowolafe had written.
“The said Dr Temitope Kolawole Aluko has recanted the evidence he gave in the cause of the hearing of the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition as a star witness even up to the Supreme Court.
“The Certified True Copy of the State on Oath, evidence of Dr Temitope Kolawole Aluko in Court on the 12/11/14 and Nigerian Tribune and The Punch newspapers of Monday, 01/02/2016 that reported the interview granted are hereto attached.
“It is to be noted that this if this act (Perjury) is not looked into, it will definitely defile the cause of justice and consequently rubbished the judicial proceedings.”
Aluko had in a televised programme on Sunday, January 31, 2016 said things that were contrary to and opposite in direction to his evidence before the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
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