The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila (ACN, Lagos), yesterday admitted that he was sanctioned by the State of Georgia, United States of America, for "professional misconduct and negligence" over the sum of $25,000 (equivalent N3.9million) belonging to a client.
Gbajabiamila said this in a statement yesterday in Abuja in response to a publication by Saharareporters.com suggesting that the lawmaker fraudulently converted a client's $25,000 personal injury claims to private use while practicing as a lawyer in the US in 2002.
The report claimed that the Minority Leader had shown remorse and returned the money as a result of which the State of Georgia disbarred him in addition to suspending his law practice license for 36 months.
However, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) leader, said the reports on events that happened "about 10 years ago" were calculated to distract him because he called for the impeachment of President Goodluck Jonathan over non-implementation of the 2012 budget on 19th July, 2012.
"Let me state very clearly that, yes, I was sanctioned by the Georgia Bar Disciplinary Board for professional misconduct and negligence due to an unfortunate ethical violation that took place about 10 years ago in 2003. There are no ifs, buts or ands about it," he said.
He said, in 2002, prior to returning for election in Nigeria, he left instructions with his para legal to pay the client whenever the claims matured, but that the para legal absconded with the money.
1 comment:
I bet you if you ask the paralegal, which I hope Sahara reporters will do, he/she will tell a different story. It does not matter how long ago the crime was committed, or where it was carried out, a crime is a crime. An incident that led to disbarment is a serious ethical one, this man would not be in elective politics in a civilized society (oops! those words again)
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