The lawmaker-elect for Ovia North East Constituency 1 in the Edo State House of Assembly, Mr. Ugiagbe Dumez, has been arraigned in absentia at the State Criminal Court for alleged forgery and impersonation.
Dumez and others at large were said to have committed the offence around 2001.
He was arraigned before Justice Ohimai Ovbiagele on six court charges bothering on forgery and impersonation.
Among the allegations against Dumez was that he made a false document of West African Senior School Certificate with No: NGWASSCP 1230734 of December 2001 in the name of Ugiagbe Onaiwu Dumez, with examination No: 5131293070; by altering the original passport on it and super imposing his passport photograph on it.
Dumez was also accused to have falsefully represented himself to be the person who wrote the examination and whose photograph is on the certificate No: NGWASSCP 1230734 with candidate No: 5131293070; which is indeed the photograph of another person.
The offences, according to the charge sheet, are punishable under sections 21 (a) and 467 of the Criminal Code, Cap 48, vol. II, Laws of the Defunct Bendel State of Nigeria, 1976 as applicable in Edo State.
State counsel, Mr Peter Ojo, informed the court of the state’s decision to take over prosecution of the matter in pursuant to section 212 of the constitution.
Ojo stated that the suspect had been released on bail after being arrested by the police in Abuja and assured to make him available to take his plea at the next adjourned date.
Justice Obviagele adjourned the case to November 1, 2019, for the suspect to take his plea.