The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out the eight-count forgery charge against Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-styled Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).

Justice Mohammed Umar struck out the charge on Monday following an application by the Federal Government to withdraw the case.

The government was represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, who told the court that the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) had reviewed the case file and identified loopholes that informed the decision to discontinue the proceedings.

Oyedepo said the government planned to transfer the case to the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for Adeyemi’s fresh arraignment.

He also argued that the alleged forged documents could be prosecuted at the FCT High Court rather than the Federal High Court.

The application to strike out the charge was not opposed by Adeyemi’s counsel, Ibrahim Angulu, SAN.

The case was initially instituted by the police before the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation took over the prosecution at the previous adjourned sitting.

Adeyemi, who had been in detention since July 14 following his arrest on the strength of a bench warrant issued by the court, was arraigned on allegations bordering on forgery, fraud and impersonation.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges, after which the court ordered his remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre.

The defendant had also sought bail, citing a contagious ailment that he said required urgent medical attention from his personal doctors.

However, the prosecution opposed the application, insisting that government facilities were adequate to address his medical needs.

The scheduled hearing of the bail application was overtaken by the withdrawal of the charge.

Among those earlier listed as prospective prosecution witnesses were the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Paul Emmanuel; Jeremiah Imoukhede; and Ituah Sylvester.

Other proposed witnesses included civil servants in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Akimbo Shola and Adamu Balongu, as well as a Deputy Superintendent of Police.

The Federal Government’s decision to withdraw the charge signals a possible fresh prosecution at the FCT High Court, where the defendant is expected to be arraigned if the planned proceedings go ahead.