The Civil Society Network Against Corruption, CSNAC, has written a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC demanding the investigation of the lawmaker representing Kogi-West senatorial district, Senator Dino Melaye, and Justice Akoh Ikpeme.
An online news medium, Sahara Reporters, had on Tuesday released an audio clip in which the judge, who was handling an election petition involving Melaye and Senator Smart Adeyemi of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP allegedly demanded a bribe from Melaye in dollars.
In a petition signed by its chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, the group, on Thursday, urged the commission to urgently commence a high-powered investigation by a team of forensic experts into the allegation.
“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.
The leaked audio tape:
“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.
“It is worth noting that sometime in 2016, Justice Ikpeme dismissed a petition by Smart Adeyemi, Mr. Melaye’s opponent at the 2015 Kogi-West senatorial district election — in accordance with the plot of reaffirming the alleged electoral infractions associated with the emergence of Mr. Melaye.”
The coalition stated that in view of the gravity of the allegations, the EFCC must urgently commence a high-powered investigation by a team of forensic experts into the allegations.
The CSNAC said the fight against corruption would remain deficient in the face of unbridled electoral fraud and manipulation if nothing was done.
However, Melaye, has denied bribing the judge, adding that the voice recording was fake.
In a message on his official Twitter handle, said Sahara Reporters was fabricating lies against him because he had sued the medium and the case was about to come up for mention in court.
“Sahara Reporters and ‘awada kerikeri’; using voice-over to malign me because my case with them comes up in few days’ time, June 5, 2017.”