By BONIFACE AKARAH

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied reports that its counsel, Larry Peters Aso, made claims about a 2024 investigation report during proceedings in a fundamental rights suit involving legal practitioner, Dr Ted Iseghoi-Edwards.

The commission said In a statement issued by its Media and Publicity Department on November 2, 2026, that Aso’s reaction to the judgment of the Federal Capital Territory High Court had been misrepresented.

Justice Suleiman Belgore reportedly cleared Iseghoi-Edwards of alleged fraud relating to services rendered to the 774 local government councils and disagreed with the EFCC over its investigation report on the London-Paris Club refunds.

According to the commission, Aso merely thanked the judge for his attention to the matter and said the EFCC would obtain and study the Certified True Copy of the judgment before deciding on its next steps.

“He never said anything about any EFCC 2024 report on an allegation that Iseghoi-Edwards ‘fraudulently obtained the judgments, because he instituted proceedings against the Federal government in the United States’,” the commission stated.

The EFCC also rejected claims that its counsel said the report was prepared under pressure from senior authorities after Iseghoi-Edwards allegedly assigned promissory notes to third parties in the United States, who threatened to sue the Federal Government.

It described the claims as “totally mischievous and deliberate character assassination”, insisting that the interpretation was intended to suggest external influences in the matter.

The commission said the record of proceedings from Tuesday, October 20, 2026, when the judgment was delivered, could be accessed to confirm what its counsel actually said.

It urged media organisations to exercise greater objectivity when reporting court proceedings.

“The Commission enjoins the media to be more objective in reporting court proceedings in the interest of justice,” the statement added.