Ade Adesomoju, Abuja

The Supreme Court will on Friday determine whether or not to stop the trial of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, before the Code of Conduct Tribunal on charges of false assets declaration.

A seven-man bench led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, had on December 4, 2015, fixed Friday for judgment after entertaining arguments on an appeal by Saraki, with the Federal Government urging the apex court ‎to dismiss the Senate President’s case and allow the trial before the CCT to continue.

Saraki’s appeal filed through his lead counsel, Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN), is challenging the majority judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja delivered on October 30, 2015, which affirmed the jurisdiction of the CCT to try him and the competence of the charges of false assets declaration preferred against him by the Federal Government.

The Federal Government had in September 2015 arraigned Saraki before the CCT on 13 counts of false assets declaration which he allegedly made in 2003 as Governor of Kwara State.

The Danadi Umar-led CCT had dismissed Saraki’s protest against the competence of the charges and jurisdiction of the tribunal.

Saraki had appealed against the decision of the tribunal, but the appeal was dismissed by a two-to-one split decision of a three-man bench of the Court of Appeal in Abuja on October 30, 2015.

He further appealed to the Supreme Court maintaining that the charges were not competent and that the CCT lacked the jurisdiction to try him because it was not duly constituted as it comprised two instead of three members provided for by the Constitution.

The Supreme Court had on November 12, 2015 through a five-man panel, led by now retired Justice John Fabiyi, granted an order of stay of proceedings of Saraki’s trial before the CCT, pending the hearing and determination of his appeal.

After granting the order of stay of proceedings, the apex court ordered parties –Saraki and the Federal Government – to exchange their briefs of argument within 14 days.

A new panel headed by the CJN which heard the appeal on December 4, 2015 comprised Justices Walter Onnoghen, Tanko Muhammad, Sylvester Ngwuta, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Chima Nweze and Amiru Sanusi.

Saraki’s lawyer, Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN), raised seven grounds of appeal against the judgment of the Court of Appeal, urging the Supreme Court to set aside the lower court’s judgment, the entire proceedings of the CCT and the charges preferred against him before the tribunal.

At the hearing of the appeal, Daudu faulted the judgment of the appeal court on among other grounds that it erroneously affirmed the competence of the proceedings of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, which sat on the appellant’s case with only two members as against the three provided for in the provisions of Paragraph 15(1) of the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution.

Daudu also maintained that the charges filed by a then Deputy Director in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Muslim Hassan (now a Federal High Court judge), when the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation had not been occupied by any person, were incompetent.



http://www.punchng.com/saraki-knows-fate-over-cct-trial-as-supreme-court-rules-friday/

no wonder he denied ever calling out to OBJ

With the Rivers and Akwa Ibom "victory", I'd say the Supreme court is cheaper to buy than other courts in the country. However, Friday is just some hours away. I don't trust the Supreme court in any way. Let's just hope the apex court will not halt proceedings at this point.

Supreme court

I give up.

I agreed with you sir

Sanchez01:
With the Rivers and Akwa Ibom "victory", I'd say the Supreme court is cheaper to buy than other courts in the country. However, Friday is just some hours away. I don't trust the Supreme court in any way. Let's just hope the apex court will not halt proceedings at this point.

With the latest happening, am begining to doubt the credibility of Supreme court. Are they going to be fair in their ruling? or are we seeing the other way round?

Sanchez01:
With the Rivers and Akwa Ibom "victory", I'd say the Supreme court is cheaper to buy than other courts in the country. However, Friday is just some hours away. I don't trust the Supreme court in any way. Let's just hope the apex court will not halt proceedings at this point.

ok

Forget, Saraki don buy them all

DONSMITH123:
With the latest happening, am begining to doubt the credibility of Supreme court. Are they going to be fair in their ruling? or are we seeing the other way round?

Supreme court?
Saraki is a freeman already, no need for the hearing again.

supreme court?! leave trash for lawma saraki don win already...

This past weeks has been one of disappointing decisions by the supreme Court,taking Nigeria back several years in its electoral evolution.
So won't be surprised if the same supreme court takes the fight against corruption back to the pre PMB era, by stopping Saraki's trial at the cct.Thats how disconnected I feel the apex court is with the quest for a new Nigeria.

Kyase:
Supreme court?
Saraki is a freeman already, no need for the hearing again.

Agreed.

Sanchez01:
With the Rivers and Akwa Ibom "victory", I'd say the Supreme court is cheaper to buy than other courts in the country. However, Friday is just some hours away. I don't trust the Supreme court in any way. Let's just hope the apex court will not halt proceedings at this point.

Hypocrite!,Has Apc not won many cases at the same supreme court!
If Rivers and Akwa Ibom is cancelled due to card reader,then the entire presidential election,lagos,Imo should be cancelled.
Hypocrite!

doctokwus:
This past weeks has been one of disappointing decisions by the supreme Court,taking Nigeria back several years in its electoral evolution.
So won't be surprised if the same supreme court takes the fight against corruption back to the pre PMB era, by stopping Saraki's trial at the cct.Thats how disconnected I feel the apex court is with the quest for a new Nigeria.

Your defination of New Nigeria,is Apc should steal the people's mandate through the courts.

ghegen

If they do otherwise, Nigerians are waiting ...Saraki knows his way. Mind you, the complexity of this case would make a difficult decision. For instance there is reference to cite in this case and the Court would set a precedent with any position on this matter.

I am waiting for them to stop Dasukis' case. Twitter must be on fire.Anyway, Oyegun has called for the probe of the Supreme Court Judges that delivered the recent rulings.

Let's see whether the supreme court will let off Bukola Saraki or order him to defend himself. The court's decision will show whether the s/court is for or against the war against corruption.

Supreme sha Abeg unto the next

DONSMITH123:
With the latest happening, am begining to doubt the credibility of Supreme court. Are they going to be fair in their ruling? or are we seeing the other way round?
APC are the new wailers in town.

APC are the new wailers in town.

Okay

dino maley will act as his chief security officer that day.

Saraki should be celebrating his victory in advance. abi no be nigerian supreme court?

DONSMITH123:
With the latest happening, am begining to doubt the credibility of Supreme court. Are they going to be fair in their ruling? or are we seeing the other way round?

APC are the new wailers in town.

Interesting

Ok. Let's wait & see how it will unfold.

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