Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun has hinted of a legal action against Premium Times for repeatedly publishing that she forged an NYSC exemption certificate.
This was disclosed by Dele Ogun, a lawyer and elder brother to the former Minister in an interview with Arise TV “The Good Morning Show.”
Ogun stated that the allegation of forgery was first made by Premium Times, which again repeated the same in their report of the judgment under discussion.
They alleged once again that “although Mrs Adeosun forged her NYSC certificate to be appointed Minister, the issue of forgery was not brought before the court as the Federal Government has refused to prosecute her.”
He said that the simple reason the government had not charged or prosecuted Adeosun was because there was no forgery.
He stated that although there was an investigation, the government needed to provide answers as to what happened to the investigation given that it was confirmed that NYSC did receive an application from her for the exemption certificate which the judgment had affirmed she was entitled to.
According to Ogun, “the question to ask is ‘what happened to that application? It does not make sense that somebody submitted an application to be issued a certificate and she received one through the office of a responsible state government and it is said that it was forged. So Premium Times does have a case to answer’.”
He said that Premium Times definitely had a case to answer because if forgery was alleged, which is a serious allegation, then the onus restsed on the person making the allegation to susbtantiate the same.
He said that the standard of the burden of proof was on the person making the allegation which is not on the balance of probabilities but beyond reasonable doubt.
Ogun said the public should rest assured that they were going to bring an action against Premium Times because if an organisation as he understands claims to be ‘Nigeria’s leading Newspaper for reliable, breaking news and deep investigation report about Nigeria’, they should do better.
“We are taking this action because we have to get away from this practice of trial by the media. Allegations must be substantiated and they have a responsibility now to substantiate the allegation which they have repeatedly claimed that she forged that document,” he said.
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