The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, LPDC, has banned the immediate past Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Imo State, Chief C.O.C Akaolisa, from Legal Practice for 5 years, over what it termed, Professional Misconduct and abuse of office.
A Six-man Disciplinary Committee, headed by Dauda J.B. (SAN) on Friday, July 9, 2021, found Chief Akaolisa guilty of the allegations contained in the petition against him and then banned him from practicising law for 5 years, for misconduct.
The Committee which sat at the Court of Appeal Complex, Abuja, said, the Petition against him had merit and then found him guilty, accordingly.
Akaolisa was said to have used his position as the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Imo State, to facilitate the bail of a murder suspect, who was remanded in Prison Custody and standing trial since 2013, before Justice Onii Egbunighe of Orlu High Court (2).
The suspect, Paulinus Nwanochie, has been standing trial for the murder of Mr. Alphonsus Akuma, from Orsu LGA.
Chief Akaolisa was also the lawyer to the suspect, before his appointment as the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of the state.
The case has been going on with the suspect remanded in Prison Custody. The Judge handling the matter travelled to America for medical treatment and was there, when the COVID-19 pandemic came upand could not come back when Chief Akaolisa was appointed the Attorney-General of the State and Commissioner for Justice.
Akaolisa was said to have used his office to introduce the matter at an Owerri High Court, presided over by Justice Ikpema, without the consent of the complainant, Chief John Akuma and without officially withdrawing or transferring the matter from Orlu High Court to the one in Owerri.
Akaolisa was said to have written to the Counsel to the Complainant, Barr. Ekweme to hands off the matter, but the lawyer insisted that a formal letter should be written to him, with the actual date of delivering the letter to him. When that was done, the lawyer decided to hands off the case.
But the Complainant, Chief John Akuma felt that he would not get Justice in the matter with Akaolisa, who had been the lawyer to the suspect and now Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice not only introduced the case in another Court but would be deciding where and when the matter would be heard.
He, the Complainant, then petitioned the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) against Akaolisa, through Chief Nwofor K.C. (SAN).
A 6-man Disciplinary Committee was set up with Chief Dauda J.B. as Chairman. The Disciplinary Committee handled the petition and at the end of the day, slammed five years ban on Akaolisa.
The Committee also directed that copies of its decision be copied to NBA Chairman, Imo State, NBA Chapters of the 36 States and Abuja, the Supreme Court, Inspector-General of Police, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Commissioner of Police, Imo State and Chief Judge of Imo State.
It was gathered that Akaolisa can appeal against the verdict.
