I dont intend to negotiate plea bargain deal -Akingbola

The embattled managing-director of Intercontinental Bank Plc, Dr Erastus Akingbola, has said that he does not intend to negotiate a plea bargain deal, concerning his pending court cases arising from the banking reform.A statement issued by a lawyer to Dr Akingbola, Mr Charles Nwajagu, which was made available to the Nigerian Tribune on Monday, said that he never wrote the Attorney-General and the Minister of Justice to secure a plea bargain on any issue, adding that he neither sought any approval from the bank to pay back any money, saying I am not owing them any money.It will be recalled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was trying the former bank executive on allegation of stealing N346 billion from the Intercontinental Bank Plc.Dr Akingbola, who said he was resolute in his belief that it is better for my persecutors to prove my guilt before the law courts. If my accusers have a good case as they claim, why are they interested in harassing me to plea bargain to justify their incursion into private businesses Justice should be allowed to take its course.He said the case he was being tried for in Nigeria was exactly what he was facing in United Kingdom, adding that the matter at the Security and Exchange Tribunal meant that the cases were being tried in three courts.Dr Akingbola, who said there was need to set the records straight, added that he was never declared wanted by the EFCC, saying that he came back to the country when he felt it was safe for his life and that he voluntarily reported to the EFCC.He also described the alleged misleading media campaign by his persecutors as a deliberate ploy to justify the illegal hijack of the bank and the planned sale to their special interest group.
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