The Peoples Gazatte is reporting that a document has revealed that Senator Neda Imasuen, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions at the Nigerian Senate, was permanently disbarred in New York, United States, for fraud and gross misconduct, according to Peoples Gazatte.
Peoples Gazette reports that the document shows that Imasuen, who currently represents Edo South under the Labour Party, was stripped of his law licence in 2010 after he allegedly collected millions of dollars in legal fees from a client but failed to provide legal representation.
His disbarment raises serious questions about his role as head of the Senate Ethics Committee, particularly after his committee recently recommended the six-month suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over alleged violations of Senate rules.
People Gazette reports that records from the Grievance Committee for the Second, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Judicial Districts in New York show that Imasuen was found guilty of professional misconduct after he accepted legal fees from a client, Daphne Shyfield, but failed to appear in court on her behalf.
Despite multiple attempts to contact him regarding the allegations, Imasuen reportedly ignored all petitions and disciplinary inquiries, prompting the New York authorities to revoke his legal licence permanently.
The ruling, issued on May 10, 2010, stated: “Neda B. Imasuen, admitted as Neda Bernards Imasuen, is disbarred, and his name is stricken from the roll of attorneys and counselors-at-law.”
The document further ordered him to cease all legal practice in any form, including appearing before any court or legal authority in the US.
Following his disbarment, Imasuen is believed to have left the United States and relocated to Nigeria, where he later ventured into politics.
Despite his legal troubles in the U.S., Imasuen was elected to the Nigerian Senate in 2023 under the Labour Party.
He was subsequently appointed Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, a position that requires a high standard of integrity and accountability.
The revelation of Imasuen’s disbarment for fraud comes just days after his Senate Ethics Committee recommended the suspension of Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The committee accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of violating Senate rules and proposed a six-month suspension, including the withdrawal of her salary, allowances, and security details.
The committee also ordered that her office be locked for the duration of the suspension.
The decision followed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s sexual harassment petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, which the Ethics Committee dismissed, citing procedural issues.
“That the Senate should suspend Senator Natasha for six months for her violation of the Senate Standing Rules 2023 as amended, for bringing the Senate President (presiding officer) and the Senate in general to public disgrace,” Imasuen had declared while presenting the recommendation.
“That her office should be locked up for the duration of her suspension and she hands over all Senate properties in her possession to the Clerk of the National Assembly,” his committee added.
The move has been widely criticised as politically motivated, with some observers arguing that the Ethics Committee was being used to silence dissenting voices in the Senate.
Culled: Peoples Gazatte
Post Views: 16
