The Bayelsa government on Monday distanced itself
from the travails of a former Security Adviser to Ex-Gov Timipre Sylva, Richard
Kpodo, who was arraigned for rape on Friday.
Kpodo, was on Friday arraigned before a
Magistrates’ Court in Yenagoa, on a two-counts of unlawfully detaining one
Teke Blessing on June 20 at Etegwe, Yenagoa, and subsequent rape of the victim.
However, Counsel to Kpodo , Mr Julius Iyekoroghe,
had dismissed the allegations as a ploy by the Bayelsa government to silence
his client, who is a vocal critic of the Gov Seriake Dickson-led government.
“The Police are trying to frame up my client. The
case of alleged rape that they are trying to use occurred last year in which a
girl came to the Richpark Hotel at Etegwe and stole some money.
“Chief Kpodo asked his workers to report the case
at Akenfa police station because he was on his way outside the state.
“Out of embarrassment, the suspect went to the
Ekeki Police Station and lodged a case of Rape to blackmail the hotel and the
owner.
“But when the truth came out, the girl and her
family withdrew their case. Now, in their desperate bid to hang Chief Kpodo by
all means, the police are searching for the girl and the case details.
“This is a democracy and the act of the police
against some critical views by a politician is unacceptable and a violation of
his right as a Nigerian,”Iyekoroghe said.
Reacting to the allegations that the prosecution
was politically motivated to silence Kpodo, a critic, Daniel Iworiso-Markson told
said on Monday that the claims are false and baseless.
“Richard Kpodo is on his own. His attempt to
politicize and robe government in this matter will not fly.
“As the saying goes, if you can’t do the time,
don’t do the crime”. This should come as a warning to others, who derive
pleasure in raping our women and young girls.
“Don’t do it and then end up blaming someone else
or the devil for an act you deliberately committed with absolute disregard for
the law and its consequences simply because you are a “big or powerful man”.
“In every life, there will always come a day of
reckoning,” Iworiso-Markson said.
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