Lawyers to Jude Onwusonye, the managing director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Richy Gold International Limited, have said that their client was never arrested nor prosecuted for any drug offences.
The businessman, through his lawyer, Honourable Victor Chinedu, of Graylaw Partners LLP, in an interview, made the above clarification as a rebuttal to some media reports which, sometime in 2015, claimed that he was arrested in connection with a “prohibited drug, Ephedrine, valued at over ₦130 million”. The narrative, the lawyer said, contradicts earlier reportage by several other news outlets that initially covered the incident.
“In truth, the substance in question is not prohibited but a controlled substance used in the production of medicine, and Richy Gold was duly licensed to import it even at the time of this incident,” Barrister Chinedu said.
The counsel further revealed that the reported incident occurred in 2014, whereas the news media reports peddling the contrary narrative were in 2015, about a year later.
Barrister Chinedu further stated that the name of his client and his company were only mentioned as necessary witnesses and to conduct a due diligence investigation in the matter of a clearing agent, Bernard Amanze Anyanwu, who was arrested sometime in 2014, for allegedly prohibited drug. “In essence, he, Jude Onwusonye, was never charged for drug trafficking or prosecuted on any drug-related offences whatsoever.
Barrister Chinedu further stated that even the said clearing agent has been discharged of the allegation by a Federal High Court, Lagos, judge, Justice Saliu Saidu (now retired).
Speaking on the drug issue, the businessman, Mr. Jude, said: “Sometimes in February 2015, a clearing agent, Bernard Amanze Anyanwu, was arrested by the police for having 25 kilograms of a powdery substance called Ephedrine. He was later handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation.
“At the end of the investigation, Bernard was charged in court alongside one Christian Uba (said to be at large), on two charges of conspiracy and unlawful dealing in the prohibited drug, in a charge marked FHC/L/293c/2015.
“At the end of the prosecution case, the said clearing agent, Bernard, was discharged of the allegations, on the ground that NDLEA failed to establish a prima facie case against the clearing agent.”
Though he said during the investigation of the clearing agent, the NDLEA operatives visited his company/factory, where they found some chemicals we use in producing pharmaceutical drugs.
He, however, said that he was never arrested or prosecuted for any drug-related offence.
He also lamented how some media outlets linked his name and company to the matter.
