Prossy Investment N5m scandal: Court grants 'out of court' settlement request

Justice M. A. Dada of La­gos High Court sitting in Badagry, on Thurs­day granted the request for an out of court settlement sought by Promise Offor­mezie, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Prossy In­vestment Nigeria Limited.

Offormezie, through his Counsel, Darlington Eg­wom, had approached the court seeking a restraining order against the respon­dent, the Principal Partner, Ezealor Osu & Associates, Ezealor Osu from constant threats to arrest and de­tain him (Offormezie) over claimed of N5million debt.

The applicant said such claim and threat by the re­spondent constitute a fla­grant infraction of his fun­damental human rights.

Offormezie and his com­pany also sought an order of perpetual injunction re­straining the respondent whether by himself, his agent, associates, nomi­nees, servants or other per­son from further harassing, intimidating, threatening to arrest, making further frolicsome monetary de­mands from the applicant, inviting for questioning , interfering with the appli­cant’s right to personal lib­erty in connection with the matter.

Further, he requested from the court a declara­tion that the Applicant did not enter into agree­ment howsoever to pay the respondent the sum of N5million as legal service and as interest. Prossy In­vestment therefore applied for N2million damages.

However, a volte face was made a day before com­mencement of hearing on Thursday, Offormezie and Prossy Investment, the Applicant, requested for an out of court settlement which both parties con­firmed in court and their request was granted by Jus­tice M.A. Dada.

The matter was then ad­journed till May 10, on which day the two parties will report to the court if they have actually settled the matter otherwise the trial of the case will com­mence.

Recalled that Ezealor Nwosu had petitioned Promise Offormezie and his Company, Prossy In­vestment in which he cop­ied the Commissioner of Police Lagos State, Inspec­tor General of Police and the Economic and Finan­cial Crimes Commission (EFCC) demanding pay­ment of N5 million owed him by Promise Offor­mezie and his company for services rendered to them when he was their Counsel.

According to Ezealor, “I only wrote a letter de­manding for fees for servic­es I rendered. I copied CP, IGP, and EFC. After which the Applicants in this case served us notice for funda­mental rights; that is why we are in court. They came to court first and now they are asking for peaceful set­tlement. It is still good”

In an interaction with The AUTHORITY, Dar­lington Egwom, Counsel to the Applicant said “It is a fresh matter as well as a fundamental Human Right matter and my client hap­pens to be the applicant. Nobody is averse to settle­ment, whether in court or out of court, settlement is settlement. This will give both parties opportunity for an amicable settlement.”

Pascal Elechi Okwara is Counsel to the Respon­dent, “The adjournment it implies that the parties set­tle and that ends the mat­ter. That is why we picked a shorter date to see if `the parties can reach an amica­ble settlement. We will still come back to court and we are ready. We are surprise that yesterday they called us and requested for an out of court settlement. If there is no settlement we come back to the court, after all the matter was billed for mention today before they want it settled between the two parties. - The Authority