Posted by By Innocent Anaba on
THE Britain High Commission in Abuja has turned down a visa application filed by the Federal Government on behalf of the impeached governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
LAGOS - THE Britain High Commission in Abuja has turned down a visa application filed by the Federal Government on behalf of the impeached governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
Government had planned to whisk him back to London once the visa was procured to face trial for jumping bail and money laundering.
The visa application rejection notwithstanding, Chief Alamieyeseigha himself wants the visa to enable him return to London for the trial. He has accordingly written to the high commission to issue him visa.
His counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome in the letter said: 'We are solicitors to Alamieyeseigha, on whose behalf we make this humble LAGOS - THE Britain High Commission in Abuja has turned down a visa application filed by the Federal Government on behalf of the impeached governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
Government had planned to whisk him back to London once the visa was procured to face trial for jumping bail and money laundering.
The visa application rejection notwithstanding, Chief Alamieyeseigha himself wants the visa to enable him return to London for the trial. He has accordingly written to the high commission to issue him visa.
His counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome in the letter said: 'We are solicitors to Alamieyeseigha, on whose behalf we make this humble appeal. Our client has informed us that a British visa was applied for on his behalf by the Federal Government of Nigeria to enable him (Alamieyeseigha) travel to London to attend court on December 22, 2005. He further informed us that for reasons not known to him, the said application was turned down and the visa was not granted.
'We are consequently appealing to you to use your good offices to ensure that he is granted a visa to enable him continue his trial in London. We are also sending a copy of this appeal to Alamieyeseigha sureties in London to enable them inform the trial court of his difficulties in obtaining a British visa to enable him attend trial. We believe sir, that you will accede to our humble request by granting our client a visa as soon as possible."
Chief Alamieyeseigha was arrested in London in October and was charged before a London court on allegation of money laundering. He was admitted to bail, but jumped bail and returned to Nigeria before he was impeached by the Bayelsa State House of Assembly on December 9.
Alamieyeseigha was on the same date arrested and detained and was only last week charged at a Federal High Court, Lagos for money laundering offences.