The Federal Government has written to the Code of
Conduct Tribunal asking for a date for the
commencement of the trial of the Senate President,
Dr. Bukola Saraki, on charges of false assets
declaration.
The letter written on behalf of the Federal Government
by the lead prosecuting counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs
(SAN), followed the February 5 judgment of the
Supreme Court validating the trial of the Senate
President before the CCT.
It was learnt that Jacobs sent the letter with a copy of
the Supreme Court’s judgment attached to it to the
Danladi Umar-led CCT on Monday.
Our correspondent did not get to see a copy of the
letter, but the Head, Press and Public Relations of the
CCT, Mr. Ibraheem Al-hassan, confirmed to our
correspondent that the registrar of the tribunal had
received it.
“I have confirmed from the registrar and he confirmed
to me that Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), wrote the letter,
informing the tribunal that the Supreme Court has
dismissed the appeal that was stopping the trial from
going on. He attached a copy of the judgment to the
letter.
“The letter will be considered and a hearing notice will
be issued later on.”
It is expected that the tribunal will give a date for the
trial and issue hearing notices to parties to the case
this week.
A seven-man panel of the apex court presided over by
the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud
Mohammed, unanimously ruled in its judgment on
February 5 that Saraki’s appeal against the jurisdiction
of the CCT and the competence of the charges, lacked
merit.
Justice Walter Onnoghen, who delivered the lead
judgment, dismissed all Saraki’s seven grounds of
appeal, affirming that the charges instituted against
him were valid and that the tribunal was validly
constituted with requisite jurisdiction to try him.
The CJN and other members of the full panel of the
apex court, comprising Justices Tanko Muhammad,
Sylvester Ngwuta, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Chima Nweze
and Amiru Sanusi, also consented to the judgment.
The judgment of the Supreme Court terminated an
earlier order of the a panel of apex court presided over
by now retired Justice John Fabiyi, which had on
November 12, 2015, suspended proceedings in the trial
of the Senate President.
The CCT is therefore expected to issue a hearing
notice for the continuation of the Senate President’s
trial.
In the 13 counts initiated by the Federal Government,
Saraki was said to have made false assets declaration
in his forms submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau
as a two-term governor of Kwara State between 2003
and 2011.
The Senate President, who was said to have submitted
four assets declaration forms which were allegedly
investigated by the CCB, was found to have “corruptly
acquired many properties while in office as Governor
of Kwara State but failed to declare some of them in
the said forms earlier filled and submitted.”
He also allegedly made an anticipatory declaration of
assets upon his assumption of office as governor,
which he later acquired.
He is also accused of sending money abroad for the
purchase of property in London and that he maintained
an account outside Nigeria while serving as governor.
Saraki initially refused to appear before the tribunal
prompting it to issue a bench warrant against him.
Saraki failed in his bid to get the Danladi Umar-led
tribunal to quash the 13 counts, after he was arraigned
on September 22, 2015.

www.punchng.com/fg-asks-cct-to-give-date-for-sarakis-trial/

Nice One!!!

IPOB Youths Can Now And Take Positions @ The CCT With Their Placards....



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