In a stunning revelation, Neda Imasuen, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Public Petitions, has been exposed for a history of fraudulent behavior that led to his disbarment in New York, U.S. The news, reported by Peoples Gazette, sheds light on a past filled with financial misconduct and legal violations.
Imasuen, who suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti from the Senate in a controversial move, was stripped of his bar license for engaging in a multimillion-dollar fraud. According to court records, he swindled his client, Daphne Shyfield, absconding with her representation fees without fulfilling his duty to represent her in court.
A court officer familiar with the case revealed that Imasuen was permanently disbarred by the New York Bar after collecting tens of millions of dollars in legal fees from Shyfield. However, he failed to appear in court or provide the necessary legal services, breaching the fundamental ethics of the legal profession.
The story of this financial fraud dates back to 2009, when Shyfield hired Imasuen for legal representation. Instead of fulfilling his obligations, Imasuen took the money and vanished, leaving Shyfield without legal counsel. This action prompted a series of petitions and investigations into his behavior, which violated the New York bar code.
Despite being served multiple petitions in the U.S., Imasuen did not respond to any of them. He also failed to request extensions or offer explanations for his misconduct. Rather than face legal consequences, he fled the country, taking the funds with him and relocating to Nigeria.
After repeated failed attempts to contact him and address the allegations, the New York Grievance Committee terminated Imasuen’s legal license. The committee’s ruling, dated May 10, 2010, confirmed that Imasuen was disbarred and prohibited from practicing law in any capacity in New York.
The ruling further stated that Imasuen could no longer appear as a lawyer before any court or public authority. It also emphasized that his name was permanently removed from the official list of attorneys authorized to practice law in New York.
Despite his past, Imasuen continued his political career in Nigeria. In 2023, he successfully contested the Edo South senatorial seat under the Labour Party, rising to the position of Senate Ethics Chairman. His appointment to head the Senate Committee on Ethics and Public Petitions raised eyebrows, given his history of ignoring legal processes.
Critics have pointed out the irony of someone with such a tainted legal record being entrusted with a position responsible for overseeing ethics and public petitions. “The same man who disregarded petitions in the past is now in charge of evaluating them,” said one political analyst, questioning the integrity of leadership in Nigeria.
This controversy came to a head last Wednesday when Imasuen dismissed Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s sexual harassment petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. He claimed that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition had not followed proper protocol. He initially rejected the petition, calling it “dead on arrival,” but later accepted it after Akpoti-Uduaghan resubmitted it with the correct signatures.
