Tina Amanda
A prime suspect in a criminal and attempted murder suit filed by former First Lady Dame Patience Goodluck-Jonathany, has testified before a High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, that aide-de-camp and an official of the Department of State Service (DSS) attached to the former first lady, had promised him a Dubai trip if he implicates the 2nd Defendant in the matter, Tamunoala Alatoru.
Recall that four suspects including, Praise Gelson, Tamunoala Alatoru, Usman Garba, and Christian Mbaeri were alleged to have, on the 21st of September, 2022, broken into the house of former First Lady Dame Patience Goodluck-Jonathan within the Old GRA in Port Harcourt to steal valuables worth millions of naira.
The suspect, Praise Gelson while testifying in court during the defense opening, claimed that the officer in charge of the investigation at the F-CID in Aluu Community, Fortune Alimonu took him through the midst of dangerous dogs just to make him implicate the 2nd Defendant in the suit.
Gelson told the court that he was allegedly hung upside down and beaten with dangerous weapons to link the 2nd Defendant in the stealing of pieces of jewelry belonging to the former first lady.
Our correspondent reports that there was a rowdy section in the court when the prosecution counsel tried to tender a confessional statement of the suspect said to have been made at the GRA Police station but was rejected by all the Defense counsels.
The trial Judge, Justice Adolphus Enebeli after listening to the argument by the counsels, adjourned to 9 March 2023 for ruling on the legality of the document and continuation of cross-examination of the defense.
Meanwhile, a High Court sitting in Isiokpo community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state will also on the 9 March 2023 hear on the five hundred million naira fundamental human rights suit by Tamunoala Alatoru against the police and others.
