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Trump to US judge: You’re Democrat’s stooge, you can’t stop me
There seemed no letup in the interpretation Donald Trump, former President of the United State (POTUS), currently making a comeback bid to the White House is giving to his ongoing trial at court in New York, one of the several he is presently facing since he left government about three years ago, following his defeat by incumbent, Joe Biden.
Trump, who is sure to emerge the candidate of the Republican Party in next year’s presidential election, all but accused Arthur Engoron the New York judge handling his civil fraud case of fronting for the Democratic Party to stop him from returning as President, by “issuing fraudulent rulings,” in the same manner he equally took on Letitia James, New York State Attorney General (AG), who instituted the case as a “political hack.”
But both Engoron and James promptly pushed back by brushing the allegation, demanding that the former President was playing to the gallery and address the matter in question, insisting that the facts of the matter in issue spoke for themselves and therefore could not be ensconced in theatrics.
Reports say that though Trump, the first President in more than 100 years to stand a court trial, since the appearance of Theodore Roosevelt, in a 1915 libel suit, might not be going to prison, he and his sons, could lose control over the family’s vast business empire as the case in question centred on them cooking the books to raise the profile of the company to obtain bank loans.
“He called me a fraud and he did not know anything about me. This is political witchhunt,” Trump was quoted as saying of Engoron during the trial, with the judge, in reply, asking him to address the matter directed at him by simply answering the questions, adding: “This is not a political rally. Please, just answer the questions, no speeches.”
Engoron, even cautioned Christopher Kise, lawyer to the former President, who had an American flag on the lapel of his dark-blue suit to control him, as he continued in his confrontational attitude, as he called the trial “very unfair and crazy” adding that it was brought by Democrats “coming after me from 15 different sides,” reports say.
Regarding the trial itself, where his Don Jr. his eldest son and Eric and other executives of the Trump Organisation are being accused of exaggerating the value of their real estate assets by billions of dollars to obtain more favorable bank loans and insurance terms, the former POTUS pooh-poohed the allegation describing company’s claims in the financial statement as very conservative.
“They were not really documents that the banks paid much attention to. The value of the Trump brand was not taken into account in the valuations of my assets. I became President because of my brand,” Trump told Kevin Wallace, a lawyer for the New York Attorney General’s office, who was interrogating him under oath.
Trump said to have repeatedly attacked James, as “racist,” also referred to Engoron, as “unhinged” and a “Trump-hating radical left, Democrat operative,” comments, said to have earned $15,000 in fines from Engoron for violating a partial gag order imposed after he bashed the judge’s clerk on social media.
On his part, James, who seemed to have preempted the former President’s combatic posture, was quoted as telling reporters that he had “consistently misrepresented and inflated the value of his assets,” adding: “Before he takes the stand, I am certain that he will engage in name-calling and taunts and race-baiting and call this a witch hunt. But at the end of the day, the only thing that matters are the facts and the numbers. And numbers, my friends, don’t lie.”
The current case is one in the many of legal battles the former POTUS, who has been impeached twice by the US congress, but whose career was saved from the final death-knell by the skin of his teeth has maintained that they are all efforts by the Democrats led by Biden, to stop him from reclaiming the presidency, which he believed was fraudulently snatched from him in the 2020 election, he insists he won.
In a quick riposte on Saturday, Dave Umahi, Minister of Works, has cautioned Nigerians to be circumspect in the manner they react to the story of the death of a female student in his home in Ebonyi State, warning against the temptation of jumping to conclusion.
Conveying his position on the highly-volatile matter through Francis Nwaze, his spokesman, Umahi, former Governor of Ebonyi State and a key figure in the government of President Bola Tinubu, said caution was needed to enable the police conduct unfettered investigation into the matter.
It was his response to breaking of how one Mary Habila, a female physiotherapist reportedly died in his palatial home at Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, on June 27, hours after arriving the day before.
Nwaze, a Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, specifically cautioned against speculations by “tale bearers,” while conveying the Minister’s shock over the matter and his eagerness for the authorities to get at the root of the matter through forensic investigations.
He wrote in the statement: “The attention of the Media Office of the Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Nweze Umahi, has been drawn to a publication by a publication concerning the unfortunate passing of Miss Mary Habila in Uburu, Ebonyi State, alleging that the circumstances surrounding her death were shrouded in secrecy.
“The Honourable Minister received the news with profound shock and sadness and has since extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. For the avoidance of doubt, immediately the unfortunate incident occurred, appropriate emergency steps were taken. Medical personnel, including the Chief Medical Director of the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, were contacted without delay, while the Nigeria Police was promptly notified in accordance with the law.
“Following confirmation of Miss Habila’s passing, the Honourable Minister personally received her parents, conveyed his sincere condolences, and advised that an autopsy be conducted to scientifically establish the exact cause of death. At the time, however, the family declined the recommendation.
“It is important to clarify that Miss Mary Habila and Miss Anita Baski are employees of the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, who had been on secondment to the Federal Ministry of Works as physiotherapists for the past three years until the unfortunate passing of Miss Habila.
“Following the recent developments and in the interest of ensuring that the truth is established beyond doubt, the Honourable Minister has again reiterated his position that an autopsy must be conducted. He remains convinced that this is the most credible and responsible path to resolving all questions surrounding the unfortunate incident.
“We therefore urge the public to exercise restraint, refrain from speculation or premature conclusions, and allow the relevant authorities to carry out their responsibilities without interference. At this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers remain with the family of the deceased, and we pray that God grants them the strength to bear this irreparable loss.”
The circumstances that led to the sudden death of Mary Habbila, a Nigerian female student died in the Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, home of Dave Umahi, Minister of Works, has now thrown the entire household and environs into serious quandary.
SaharaReporters, which first broke the revealed that the incident, which happened since June 27 this year, has been shrouded in secrecy, with both the Ebonyi State Government and the state police command maintaining silence over the matter.
The incident, the report, added, took place barely a day after Habbila and another woman, Anita Baski, both from Kaduna State, were reportedly brought to the minister’s residence, triggering a police investigation, with the case transferred from the Ohaozara Divisional Police Headquarters to the Ebonyi State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Abakaliki.
Habbila and Baski reportedly arrived at the minister’s residence on June 26 to “attend” to him, only for Habbila to be found dead inside the residence the following morning under circumstances investigators are still trying to establish.
Police sources were quoted by the paper as saying that Jonathan Bawado, a police officer who serves as Senator Umahi’s Personal Assistant and previously worked as his Aide-de-Camp (ADC) during his tenure as Governor of Ebonyi State, alerted medical personnel after Habbila was discovered unresponsive.
Subsequently, a doctor and an ambulance were dispatched to the residence, while Tobechukwu Godwin, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ohaozara Police Division, was notified of the incident, the report said, adding that at the hospital Chihurumnanya Alo, a Professor and Consultant Public Health Physician, Infectious Diseases Specialist and Chief Medical Director of the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital (DUFUTH), Uburu, was also alerted about the incident.
The police who subsequently conveyed Habbila’s body to a mortuary, were said to have handed over the identification tag attached to Habbila’s to the Ebonyi State Police Command by the said DPO, as part of the ongoing investigation.
SaharaReporters, quoted a senior police officer, with knowledge of the case as saying: “The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Abakaliki,” but, however declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation.
Unlike in other cases, security operatives in Nigeria have upped the ante by adding the arrest of perpetrators to the menu of rescue operations, with the announcement of the capture of eight terrorists who participated in the abduction of school teachers and students in Oyo State on May 15.
All the 46 pupils, students and teachers abducted by terrorists from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, regained their freedom on Friday, after about 56 days in captivity, with several others reportedly also neutralised during the operation.
Giving a clue of what transpired during the operation, Bayo Onanuga, who broke the story of the feat, said it was the outcome of sustained security operations, which also foiled the attempt by the abductors to secure the release of one of their captured leaders.
Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, using his X handle to give details about the operation, said: “Finally, all the kidnapped pupils and teachers in Orire, Oyo have been rescued by our security agencies. In the course of the rescue operation, eight of the kidnappers were arrested and are now in DSS custody, while some of them were neutralised.”
“There was no quid pro quo in the rescue as one of the terrorists, a kingpin, that the kidnappers demanded his release, is being prosecuted for his atrocities. The security agencies will give full account soon.”
The victims were abducted on May 15 when heavily armed bandits attacked Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in the Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area, seizing dozens of pupils, students and teachers.
The abduction sparked nationwide outrage, with parents, labour unions, traditional rulers and civil society groups mounting sustained pressure on the authorities to secure the victims’ release.
The incident also triggered an indefinite strike by the Nigeria Union of Teachers in Oyo State over growing insecurity in schools.
President Bola Tinubu had condemned the attack and ordered security agencies to intensify intelligence-led operations to rescue the captives and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The President subsequently dispatched a high-powered Federal Government delegation to the affected communities, approved the deployment of specialised rescue assets and authorised the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards to strengthen security across Oyo State.
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