A judge of the Lagos High Court, Justice Adedayo Akintoye, has
denied owning a multi-million-dollar luxury flat in the world’s
tallest building – the Burj Khalifa – in Dubai, the United Arab
Emirates (UAE).
![image](/2020/10/lawreport.jpg")
The judge’s rebuttal followed an online newspaper publication
alleging she bought a deluxe three-bed apartment on the 64th Floor
of the Khalifa Tower despite her approximately $1,700 per month in
salaries and allowances.
![image](/2021/01/payne-alex.jpg")
The publication claimed that Akintoye, 63, purchased the
property using her Nigerian passport number with an expiry date
between March 17, 2011, and March 16, 2016.
The judge is assigned to the criminal division of the Igbosere
High Court of the Lagos State Judiciary.
“Her date of birth of January 31, 1958, was also on file as the
sole owner of the luxury apartment. A comparative worth of similar
properties in the same Burj Khalifa building costs 11,984,888
United Arab Emirates Dirham or $3.2 million or N1.2 billion,” the
publication alleged.
It claimed further that details of Mrs. Akintoye’s passport
attached to records of the Burj Khalifa apartment, which was dated
between 2011 and 2016, “invariably prove that the property was
acquired either while she was a magistrate or after becoming a
senior judge.”
But the judge, and her husband, Akindele Akintoye, described the
said publication as “defamatory and injuriously false in every
respect.”
They made their rebuttal in a February 24 letter by their
counsel, Prof Taiwo Osipitan, SAN, adding the publication gave “the
wrong impression” that both were corrupt.
They said it wrongly suggested that Justice Akintoye “utilised
judicial office to acquire illicit wealth and properties with the
active connivance of her husband, Mr. Akindele Akintoye who has
also been presented in your company’s publication as an accessory
after the fact to the alleged corrupt activities credited to his
wife in the said publication.”
The lawyer said: “For the avoidance of doubt, we have specific
instruction to the effect that Honourable Justice Adedayo Akintoye
does not own (solely or jointly) any flat at Burj Khalifa in Dubai,
United Arab Emirates. Consequently, your company’s publication is
therefore false in every material respect.”
The judge and her husband made three demands including: “An
immediate retraction and apology for the offending publication.
Monetary damages in the sum of N500 million for the injury and
pain….”
In the event of the failure to comply “within 7 days” they
threatened to sue for libel.”
A judge of the Lagos High Court, Justice Adedayo Akintoye, has
denied owning a multi-million-dollar luxury flat in the world’s
tallest building – the Burj Khalifa – in Dubai, the United Arab
Emirates (UAE).
The judge’s rebuttal followed an online newspaper publication
alleging she bought a deluxe three-bed apartment on the 64th Floor
of the Khalifa Tower despite her approximately $1,700 per month in
salaries and allowances.
The publication claimed that Akintoye, 63, purchased the
property using her Nigerian passport number with an expiry date
between March 17, 2011, and March 16, 2016.
The judge is assigned to the criminal division of the Igbosere
High Court of the Lagos State Judiciary.
“Her date of birth of January 31, 1958, was also on file as the
sole owner of the luxury apartment. A comparative worth of similar
properties in the same Burj Khalifa building costs 11,984,888
United Arab Emirates Dirham or $3.2 million or N1.2 billion,” the
publication alleged.
It claimed further that details of Mrs. Akintoye’s passport
attached to records of the Burj Khalifa apartment, which was dated
between 2011 and 2016, “invariably prove that the property was
acquired either while she was a magistrate or after becoming a
senior judge.”
But the judge, and her husband, Akindele Akintoye, described the
said publication as “defamatory and injuriously false in every
respect.”
They made their rebuttal in a February 24 letter by their
counsel, Prof Taiwo Osipitan, SAN, adding the publication gave “the
wrong impression” that both were corrupt.
They said it wrongly suggested that Justice Akintoye “utilised
judicial office to acquire illicit wealth and properties with the
active connivance of her husband, Mr. Akindele Akintoye who has
also been presented in your company’s publication as an accessory
after the fact to the alleged corrupt activities credited to his
wife in the said publication.”
The lawyer said: “For the avoidance of doubt, we have specific
instruction to the effect that Honourable Justice Adedayo Akintoye
does not own (solely or jointly) any flat at Burj Khalifa in Dubai,
United Arab Emirates. Consequently, your company’s publication is
therefore false in every material respect.”
The judge and her husband made three demands including: “An
immediate retraction and apology for the offending publication.
Monetary damages in the sum of N500 million for the injury and
pain….”
In the event of the failure to comply “within 7 days” they
threatened to sue for libel.”