Dino Melaye alleged bribe: Group urges EFCC to urgently probe Senator, judge
Following the bribery allegation against Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, the Civil Society Network Against Corruption, CSNAC, wants the lawmaker and Justice Akoh Ikpeme probed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
In a petition signed by its Chairman, Olarewaju Suraju, written to the anti-graft agency, CSNAC urged the commission to urgently commence a high-powered investigation by a team of forensic experts into the allegation.
Audio recording of Melaye allegedly trying to bribe Justice Ikpeme, who handled the election petition involving the lawmaker and Senator Smart Adeyemi was on Tuesday leaked to the public.
In the audio, Justice Ikpeme could be heard demanding for bribe which should be in US Dollars and the Senator agreed to cooperate but the lawmaker had since denied the allegation.
The petition read in part, “In the recordings which capture the telephone conversation between Justice (Mrs.) Akoh and Mr. Melaye, at two different times, the judge is overheard asking Mr. Melaye to give her a bribe in US dollars.
“She also sought Mr. Melaye’s assistance for a person he repeatedly referred to as her ‘daughter’ to secure a job at the Cross River State Ministry of Health, with the senator reassuringly bragging that he had already spoken to Governor Ben Ayade.
