The Federal Government
on Tuesday arraigned Senator Isah Misau before Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court in Abuja on an amended 10-count charge, bordering on forgery and other related offences.
Sen. Misau, representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read out to him.
Following the not guilty pleading by Misau, the prosecuting counsel, Mr Saleh Hadi, from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation(AGF) prayed the court for a date to commence hearing in the matter.
The defence counsel, Uchena Ogbunabo, who held the brief of Mr Paul Erokoro (SAN) in his submissions, prayed the court to grant the defendant bail on self-recognizance or on very liberal terms, a request which was not opposed by the prosecution.
Justice Chikere, in her ruling, granted bail to Senator Isah Misau on self-recognition, but however, ordered that he should deposit his international passport with the Chief Registrar of the Court and can apply whenever he needs it.
The matter was adjourned until January 21, 2016, for hearing.
Recalled that on November 7, 2017, the court adjourned Sen. Misau’s arraignment after his lawyer, Dr. Joshua Yusuf Musa (SAN), challenged the legal competence of the charge sheet, which he said was bereft of the requisite seal.
Musa argued that under Order 10 of the Rules of Professional Conduct, a seal duly authorised by the Nigerian Bar Association must be affixed to every charge to accord it validity.
He said it would not be proper for his client to enter his plea to a defective charge.
On his part, prosecution counsel, Saleh Hadi, acknowledged that seal was not affixed to the charge, even as he applied for a short adjournment to enable FG to regularise the amended charge.
Consequently, Justice Chikere deferred the arraignment till yesterday.
In the amended charge, FG accused the embattled lawmaker of making and uttering false documents that he allegedly submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission when he was seeking election to the Senate in 2011 and 2014.
The documents, which he was said to have been falsely made and uttered, comprised affidavits in support of personal particulars, statutory declaration of age deposed to at the FCT High Court and the Bauchi State Health Management Board Birth Certificate with number 28799.
The defendant was alleged to have forged a Bauchi State Health Management Board Birth Certificate with number 141400C which he allegedly submitted to INEC on January 28, 2011, knowing it to be false.