FG appoints acting head for Code of Conduct Tribunal •To begin trial of Bola Tinubu, others

http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/front-page-news/18229-fg-appoints-acting-head-for-code-of-conduct-tribunal-to-begin-trial-of-bola-tinubu-others


AN acting chairman has been appointed for the Code of Conduct Tribunal, in order to kickstart the trial of former and public officers that had been charged by the Code of Conduct Bureau for allegedly contravening laws governing assets declaration.

Nigerian Tribune exclusively gathered on Monday that an emergency and unpublicised swearing-in of Danladi Yakubu Umar will take place this morning at the Supreme Court of Nigeria. The swearing-in will be performed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysious Katsina-Alu.

Spokesperson of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Mrs Idowu Jokpeyibo, confirmed to the Nigerian Tribune last night that Umar, the only sitting member of the tribunal, had been given letter of appointment as the acting boss.

According to her, “I can confirm to you that he (Umar) has been given letter as the acting chairman. I cannot say more than this for now.”

Umar, a lawyer, is said to have been made the acting chairman of the tribunal following the inability of the body to attend to its statutory responsibilities, especially in the areas of prosecuting accused persons charged to the tribunal by the Bureau over alleged non-compliance with the laws guiding assets declaration by public officers.

He was reportedly notified of his swearing-in just yesterday (Monday).

Three members are statutorily required to sit on cases but two are constitutionally needed to form a quorum.

It could not be confirmed last night if the other two members had already been appointed by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, which supervises the bureau and the tribunal.

Umar was said to have been appointed to the tribunal about two years ago and had been handling the affairs of the tribunal along with the late Muritala Adebayo Sanni, who died a few weeks ago.

Sanni was acting when Justice Constance Momoh retired from the tribunal last year.

The death of Sanni left only Umar as member and with his elevation, a source revealed that two members would soon be appointed to begin trial of accused persons in full force. Our sister publication, the Saturday Tribune had exclusively reported that the death of Sanni had stalled the trial of former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu, who was charged with operating foreign accounts, as governor between 1999 and 2007.

Jokpeyibo had confirmed to our correspondent that the bureau immediately filed an amended criminal charge against Tinubu at the Code of Conduct Tribunal for immediate prosecution.

According to her, “the charge against him for operating foreign accounts as governor, which is against the constitution, was filed some weeks ago. The EFCC handed over the case file to us since the bureau is empowered to prosecute such matter. We have re-filed the case, which could not go on in April 2007 because he had immunity then.

“You remember that the EFCC took over the case file, when his immunity as governor stalled it. But it was handed back to the bureau some weeks ago and we have taken the necessary steps to commence his prosecution. This has got nothing to do with politics, because there is tendency for politics to be read into any step one takes during election period. The case is now with the Code of Conduct Tribunal.”
It was gathered that the case file was returned to the bureau shortly after the courtesy visit of his boss, Sam Saba, to the chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs Farida Waziri.

Checks at the Tribunal revealed that Tinubu’s trial was being put on hold by the death of the tribunal’s chairman, Justice Muritala Adebayo Sanni, a few weeks ago.

He was said to have died about two weeks after the charge was filed and cases being handled by the tribunal could not go on.

In the amended charge, the former governor was accused of engaging in the operation of several foreign bank accounts since he assumed office in 1999 till date, “contrary to section 7 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Cap 56 LFN, 1990 and punishable under section 23 (2) thereof as incorporated under paragraph 18, part I, Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

the sooner they arrest this theif the better for it is for yorubaland not only nigeria

tinubu has to go

Another charge and discharge in the making,rubbish

Tinubu is gonna be very busy, then he'll rest in jail. lol

^^^ and would get a rousing welcome on his release day (if he will ever be jailed)

All this GEJ ass kissers opening their own threads, who deserves to be in jail, i'll push for a bill that a daft,clueless opportunist should not be given an opportunity to rule this country, they should just be there to organise free and fair elections and leave.
Even a bad tinubu is worse than a pdp thieving GEJ anyday, better a lesser progressive minded evil than an overbearing,opportunistic,clueless,dumb political class of chop chop amala politics, who have no clue on political dynamism,and their motto is power to the elites and godfathers, chop the oil money, we no send anybody.
shame on all of you, no matter hw much money and political patronage you receive from your thieving pdp people, you will fail and be annihilated like the pdp, which is going to be obliterated this election, nigerians are tired, and the revolution is here.

Effort in Futility.