The 90-count charges filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja were withdrawn by Police even when the formal trial has not commenced.
However, a new charge of 13-counts has been brought to replace the old charge.
The Police authorities have been having running battles with the Peace Corps Commandant in the last one year over his concerted efforts to transform the Corps into a statutory body through an Act of the National Assembly as being the practice in the advanced world, especially the United State of America and the United Kingdom.
No reason was given by the Police for the sudden withdrawal of the 90-count charges, but it was however gathered that the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice had faulted the bogus charges brought against Akoh early this year.
The AGF office was said to have found most of the charges frivolous, baseless and unsubstantiated.
The AGF office was also said to have discovered that virtually all the 90-count charges filed by the Police were duplications of one another, done shortly after the national headquarters of the Peace Corps was invaded by the Police on February 28, 2017 during its official commissioning in Abuja.
A team of lawyers was said to have been put in place by the AGF, which reduced the 90-count charge against the Peace Corps’ boss to only 13.
Although, Akoh’s trial was slated for yesterday, a counsel from the AGF;s office, Mrs T. V. C Kuku informed the trial Judge, Justice John Tsoho that the AGF had amended the charge and reduced the 90-count charges to only 13, by dropping 77 of the charges in the old charge sheet.
The council submitted that the defendant (Akoh) had not been served with the amended charge personally as required by law and pleaded with the Judge to grant an adjournment in the matter to enable service on the defendant in line with the provision of the law.
Counsel to the defendant, Mr John Ochogwu did not object to the request for adjournment by the prosecution.
It will be recalled that the Police have earlier in the year frozen 24 bank accounts belonging to the Peace Corps Commandant and those of some state commands of the Corps and other officers.
Although, the accounts were frozen through an order of Justice Tsoho, the order was however set aside by the same Judge upon the discovery that the Police engaged in gross abuse of court process.
Tsoho held that similar order freezing the Peace Corps account was obtained at a Magistrate court in Abuja and was set aside by the same Magistrate court following a counter motion of the Peace Corps.
The Judge said that it was wrong of Police to have suppressed facts on the Magistrate court matter before approaching the Federal High Court for the same order to freeze the accounts, and ordered the three banks involved to unfreeze the 24 bank accounts.
Meanwhile, the matter had been adjourned till January 15, 2018 for ruling on the motion and counter motion by both the prosecution and the defendant on the sealing of the National Headquarters of the Peace Corps of Nigeria in Abuja.
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