A Rivers High Court has ordered the arrest of former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi and the 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tonye Cole.
The High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital also issued a bench warrant for a former Commissioner for Energy in the state, Augustine Wokocha.
The Court issued the warrant at the commencement of hearing of a criminal suit on the misappropriation of public funds to the tune of $50m.
The suit is filed against the trio by the Governor Nyesom Wike administration following the withdrawal of a similar suit by the state government.
Justice Chiwendu Nwogu, the trial judge also issued a bench warrant on Chamberlain Peterside, Sahara Energy Resources Limited, NG Powers-HPS Limited, and Cenpropsaroten Management Limited.
The Judge issued the bench warrant when it was discovered that the defendants were not in court to take their plea.
Though counsels for the defendants unanimously informed the court of their motion on non-service of court processes, the judge insisted on issuing the bench warrant.
The trial judge refused to hear the motion by the defendants and thereafter, adjourned the matter to the 5th of July, 2023.
