Saraki returns to code of conduct tribunal over alleged false assets declaration
By Omolade Olorudare with Agency Report
Senate President Bukola Saraki has returned to the Code of Conduct Tribunal to face three out of the 18 count charge as directed by the Appeal Court.
The Appeal Court held that the Senate President had a case to answer with respect to three of the 18 count charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The court of Appeal had in December last year nullified the judgement of the Code of Conduct Tribunal acquitting Dr Abubakar Saraki of any wrong doing in his assets declaration sequel to his emergence as the President of the Senate.
The appellate court upturned the acquittal and ordered the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to conduct a retrial of Saraki on three out of 18-count amended charge on false declaration of assets brought against him by the Federal Government.
The court in the appeal filed by the Federal Government against the decision of the code of conduct tribunal that the Senate President has no case to answer knocked out 15 of the 18 count charges as incompetent.
Justice Tinuade Akomolafe-Wilson in her judgment held that there was no evidence to substantiate the 15 counts as valid charges.
The Judge, however, held that on counts 4, 5 and 6 bothering on the purchase of house 17 A and B at Mc Donald Street, Ikoyi, Lagos by the Senate President the prosecution was able to establish a prima facie case against the Senate president.
Specifically, the appellate court held that the prosecution established that there were false claims in the set declaration forms as to how the two houses in Ikoyi were acquired.
The court held that the Senate President needs to provide an explanation to the discrepancies established by the prosecution that the properties he claimed were bought from sales of rice and sugar in his asset declaration form were bought from loans acquired from a commercial bank.
“The court concluded that credible evidence was led by the prosecution on counts 4, 5, 6 to warrant the defendant to be called upon to defend himself on how he acquired the properties disclosed in the three counts.
“And it is hereby ordered that counts 4, 5 and 6 be remitted to the code of conduct tribunal. The Appeal is dismissed in part in respects of counts 1,2,3,7,8,10,11,12,13,14,16,18,” Justice Akomolafe-Wilson said.
However, she said that the prosecution established a case against the Senate President in counts 4, 5, 6. The case is returned to the Code of Conduct Tribunal in respect of the three counts.
About Post Author
