Moses Armstrong
An Uyo state High Court has charged Nollywood actor, Moses Armstrong with r*pe, conspiracy, intimidation and supplying of drugs to procure ab*rtion.
The four charges were read to Moses for the first time since he was first arrested on June 13, defense counsel, Emmanuel Pantaleon, told PREMIUM TIMES Wednesday.
The prosecution, I.U. Robert, an assistant state counsel, while opposing bail application, cited relevant judicial authorities and urged the court to dismiss the application which he described as an “abuse of court process.”
The Judge, Ntong Ntong, after hearing submissions from both counsels upheld the defense counsel’s application and granted bail to Mr Armstrong in the sum of N5 million.
A Magistrate Court Judge, Moreen Udoka had last month struck out the case for lack of jurisdiction after she was briefed by the prosecution that the case has been entered at a High Court in the state.
The first Judge, Samuel Ukoima, whose court Mr Armstrong was first arraigned on June 17, had also struck out the prosecution’s remand application on the basis that it was not properly filed. Ukoima ordered that the actor be rearrested after the case had been properly filed.
The alleged victim, who was said to have been schooling abroad, returned to the country recently and petitioned Martha Udom Emmanuel, the wife of the state governor with respect to the r*pe allegation.