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| Senate President, Bukola Saraki |
The Supreme Court has
dismissed an appeal by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, challenging the
validity of his trial on charges of assets declaration preferred against him at
the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
The
Nation report continues:
A
seven-man panel of the apex court presided over by the Chief Justice of
Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, unanimously ruled on Friday that Saraki’s
appeal against the jurisdiction of the trial and competence of the charges,
lacked merit.
Justice
Walter Onnoghen, who read the lead judgment, held that contrary to Saraki’s
contention, the Danladi Umar-led Code of Conduct Tribunal was validly
constituted by two members.
Justice
Onnoghen also held that the tribunal was by the provisions of its enabling laws
and the Constitution conferred with the quasi-criminal jurisdiction and thus
could validly issue bench warrant.
He
thus held that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 was applicable
to the proceedings of the tribunal.
He
dismissed the allegation by Saraki that he was not properly served with the
charges and also held that the charges filed before the CCT before the
appointment of the Attorney-General of the Federation were valid.
He
also noted that there was an attempt by Saraki to intimidate the CCT by
claiming that it disobeyed the order of a Federal High Court barring it from
continuing with the proceedings pending the determination a suit filed by the
Senate President to challenge the trial.
“I have looked at the
records, there is nowhere such orders was made,” Justice Onnoghen ruled.
The
CJN and other Justices on the panel agreed with the judgment.
The
rest of the panel members who consented are Justices Tanko Muhammad, Sylvester
Ngwuta, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Chima Nweze and Amiru Sanusi.
After
the judgment on Friday, an army of political associates, who attended the
proceedings walked out of the court quietly.
Following
the Supreme Court judgment it is expected that the CCT will soon issue hearing
notice for the continuation of the Senate President’s trial on three counts of
false assets declaration.
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| Senate President, Bukola Saraki |
I’m Disappointed
In Supreme Court Judgment, Says Saraki
The
Punch reports that Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has expressed
disappointment over the judgment of the Supreme Court delivered on Friday
in Abuja.
The
seven-member judges of the apex court had in a unanimous judgement, ruled that
Saraki should go and face his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
But
Saraki, in his reaction contained in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on
Media and Publicity, Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, said he was disappointed with the
verdict.
The
senate president, however, expressed confidence that he would be vindicated
during the proper trial at the court.
The
statement reads, “After listening to the ruling of the Supreme Court in the
appeal he filed to challenge the process of arraigning him before the Code of
Conduct Tribunal, Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki hereby states as
follows :
“He
expresses disappointment over the Judgment of the apex court in the country on
the six grounds of his appeal
“He
however will like to put it on record that the facts of the substantial matter
are not before the Supreme Court since the apex court was only invited to rule
on some preliminary issues in the process of commencing the trial.
“The
Senate President believes he will have his day in the court to prove his
innocence of the charges preferred against him during the trial proper.
“Dr.
Saraki will like to thank everyone who has expressed support for him from the
beginning of the case.
“He assures everyone that
at the end of the day truth will prevail and justice will be served.” |
| Senate President, Bukola Saraki in the dock at his first CCT appearance |
TheCable reports that the Code of
Conduct Tribunal (CCT) has expressed happiness with the judgment of the Supreme
Court dismissing the appeal of Senate President Bukola Saraki to stop his trial
for alleged false declaration of assets.
On Friday, the apex court dismissed the
five grounds of Saraki’s appeal against a previous judgment of the appeal court
quashing his prayers to stop the trial.
Speaking with TheCable, Ibrahim
Alhassan, spokesman of the CCT, said the trial of the senate president would
now continue, but that the chairman of the tribunal and a member would study
the judgment and fix a date for the resumption of trial.
“The trial will continue from where it
stopped. We just have to respect the judgment of the Supreme Court at that
time it ruled we should stay action, and we did stay action. The expectation
was for us to wait until the determination of the case which happened today,”
he said.
On when the trial will continue, he
said: “It is not an individual decision. The chairman along with the other
member will have to sit down and study the scenario and decide on a date the
trial will continue.
“Certainly, I assure you the case will
continue. What stalled it was the order of Supreme Court, but now it has given
us the go ahead.
“We must be happy. It is all about the institution of
the CCT, and not about an individual. If the judgment had gone the other way
round, our jurisdiction would have been stunted, and we will not have the
capacity to continue with our tasks. Everybody should be happy, especially now
that we are in the era of fighting corruption.”
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