BREAKING: Court Of Appeal Dismisses Saraki’s CCT Trial

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has again affirmed the jurisdiction of the Code of Conduct Tribunal to try the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki on charges bordering on assets declaration breaches before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

Delivering judgment in the appeal filed by Saraki, the Justice Abdul Aboki-led panel of the appeal court on Thursday affirmed the CCT’s jurisdiction after dismissing the appeal filed by Saraki challenging his trial before the tribunal.

All the four other members of the panel unanimously agreed with the lead judgment delivered by Justice Aboki‎ who resolved all the eight issues formulated for determination against Saraki.

In affirming the earlier ruling of the Danladi Umar-led CCT affirming the tribunal’s jurisdiction, Justice Aboki held among others that contrary to Saraki’s contention, the Attorney-General of the Federation had the power to institute charges against him before the CCT.

The appeal court also held that under the Constitution, the Code of Conduct wa‎s not under any obligation to invite the appellant to enable him to make written admission of breaches in his asset declaration forms before charges could be initiated against him.

It held that the tribunal had rightly departed from its earlier decision exonerating a former Governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu‎ on account that he was not invited by the CCB to confront him with the allegations levelled against him.

The court also held that the fact that the charges were initiated 13‎ years after the offences were allegedly committed was immaterial.

Justice Aboki described the contention as sentimental which the court had been enjoined not to delve into.

This was the second time the appeal court would be delivering judgment on the same subject matter of jurisdiction of the CCT to try the Senate President.

The Court of Appeal had last year ruled against Saraki on the jurisdiction of the CCT and asked him to proceed to face the 16 counts preferred against him.

The judgment of the appeal court was validated by the Supreme Court in February.

Edo election: Tribunal Grants PDP To Inspect Electoral Materials

The Edo State Election Petitions Tribunal, on Tuesday, granted the People’s Democratic Party, PDP’s candidate in the September 28 governorship election in the state, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the go ahead to inspect electoral materials used during the election.

Ize-Iyamu had lost to the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate, Godwin Obaseki

But a three-man panel of judges led by Justice A. T . Badamasi, in Benin, the state capital, granted the ex-parte motion

During the hearing, PDP’s lawyer, Kingsley Obamogie, explained that the party’s application to assess electoral materials used in the election was in line with Section 151 of the Electoral Act, 2010, as amended.

Obamogie argued that the section empowered the party to institute an ex-parte motion for the tribunal to inspect all the electoral materials used for the election.

The three-man panel of judges, after studying the motion, granted PDP’s prayer and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to grant the opposition party access to materials used in the election.

Orubebe Found Guilty At CCT, His Mansion Seized in Abuja

Orubebe

The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) has found the former minister of Niger Delta affairs, Godsday Orubebe, guilty of false declaration of asset.

Danladi Umar, chairman of the tribunal, delivered the judgment convicting Orubebe of the offence. “‎I hereby seize, on behalf of the federal government, the property known as plot 2057,” he ruled.

“The prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, and all evidence tendered are admitted.”

However, he gave him a light sentence.

He held that Orubebe committed an offence for not declaring a piece of property in Abuja, which he claimed he had sold.

The federal government had filed a one-count charge of false declaration of asset against Orubebe. FG said that he committed the offence while he was a public officer.

The former minister is better known for his outburst at the national collation centre of the 2015 presidential election, in an attempt to disrupt the declaration of results of the election.

This Assets declaration of a thing, No one is Only oo

Eh! Saraki In Fresh Move To Stop His Code Of Conduct Trial

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki has initiated a fresh move aimed at neutralizing his trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

This time, he has filed a new suit before the Federal High Court, Abuja seeking among others, to restrain CCT and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) (who are listed as respondents) from proceeding with his trial.

The suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/117/2016 was filed by one Timipa Jenkins Okponipere, who claimed to be “suing as attorney to Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki”.

The new suit, a fundamental rights enforcement application, is one of the various attempts by Saraki to stop his trial before the CCT for alleged corruption and false assets declaration.

Saraki had challenged his trial up to the Supreme Court and lost. He has also lost past fundamental rights enforcement applications, the last being the one dismissed on April 15, 2016 by Justice Adamu Kafarati of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Now another one. In the new suit, the applicant seeks the court’s declaration that “plan to resume the trial of Senator Abubakar Saraki at the CCT is a breach of his fundamental right to fair hearing. Senate President, Bukola Saraki has initiated a fresh move aimed at neutralising his trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

This time, he has filed a new suit before the Federal High Court, Abuja seeking among others, to restrain CCT and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) (who are listed as respondents) from proceeding with his trial.

The suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/117/2016 was filed by one Timipa Jenkins Okponipere, who claimed to be “suing as attorney to Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki”.

The new suit, a fundamental rights enforcement application, is one of the various attempts by Saraki to stop his trial before the CCT for alleged corruption and false assets declaration.

Saraki had challenged his trial up to the Supreme Court and lost. He has also lost past fundamental rights enforcement applications, the last being the one dismissed on April 15, 2016 by Justice Adamu Kafarati of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Now another one. In the new suit, the applicant seeks the court’s declaration that “plan to resume the trial of Senator Abubakar Saraki at the CCT is a breach of his fundamental right to fair hearing.

Saraki pleads not guilty to amended 16 counts

Saraki

Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Thursday pleaded not guilty to amended 16 counts preferred against him by the Federal Government before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

The amendment to the original 13 counts added fresh counts including his failure to declare his interest in a foreign credit card account to which he allegedly transferred huge sums of money to while being Governor of Kwara State.

‎Originally, the Federal Government preferred against Saraki,13 counts, including charges of false and anticipatory asset declaration, as well as operation of foreign accounts, which he allegedly committed while being Governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011.

Saraki was re-arraigned before the tribunal on Thursday because of the amendment to the charges which added three fresh counts to the original 13 counts.

There have been two amendments of the original 13 counts which now brings the counts against the Senate President to 16.

The first amendment which brought in additional two counts  was made on April 18, 2016 while the latest made on April 27, 2016, added one fresh count.

The charges dated April 18 were withdrawn on Thursday.

The latest amendment was introduced by the prosecution and  accepted by the tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar, after overruling the defence led by Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN).

Umar ruled on Thursday that contrary to Usoro’s contention, the prosecution, under section 216(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act,  argued that ‎the prosecution was not required to file a motion to give the reasons for the amendment before it could be accepted by the tribunal.

The additional charges are contained in Counts 14 to 16.

‎In Count 14, the prosecution alleged that  Saraki committed another infraction in his asset declaration form  which he made to the Code of Conduct Bureau on June 3, 2011 at the end of his second tenure as Governor of Kwara State.

In the said Count 14, Saraki was said to have failed to declare his interest in “an American Express Service Card with No: 374588216836009 wherein you (Saraki) transferred huges sums of money in dollars from your Guaranty Trust Bank domiciliary account No441441953210 in Nigeria to the American Express Service, Europe, whilst you Executive Governor of Kwara State.”

Source: PunchNG

Saraki to face fresh count of failure to declare card account

Bukola Saraki

The Federal Government has again re-amended the charges preferred against the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

There have been two amendments of the original 13 counts which now brings the counts against the Senate President to 16.

The first amendment which brought in additional two counts  was made on April 18, 2016 while the latest made on April 27, 2016, added one fresh count.

The charges dated April 18 were withdrawn on Thursday.

The latest amendment was introduced by the prosecution  accepted by the tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar, after overruling the defence led by Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN), who argued that ‎the prosecution required a motion to give the reasons for the amendment before the tribunal could accept it.

‎The prosecution alleged in the latest count that on June 3, 2011, Saraki failed to declare his interest in “an American Express Service Card with No: 374588216836009 wherein you (Saraki) transferred huges sums of money in dollars from your Guaranty Trust Bank domiciliary account No 441441953210 in Nigeria to the American Express Service, Europe, whilst you Executive Governor of Kwara State.”

The offence is said to be contrary to section 15 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, CAP. C15, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and as incorporated under paragraph 11(1) and (2), Part I o the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution.

It is said to be punishable under section 23(2) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act as incorporated under paragraph 18, Part I of the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution.

The charges will be read to the defendant who will plead either guilty or not guilty to it when the tribunal resumes from its break.

The defence will then continue the cross-examination of the first prosecution witness, Mr. Michael Wetkas.

Originally, the Federal Government preferred against Saraki,13 counts, including charges of false and anticipatory asset declaration, as well as operation of foreign accounts, which he allegedly committed while being Governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011.

The first amendment added two charges which, include allegation that Saraki continued to receive salary and emoluments as Governor of Kwara State after the expiration of his tenue and at the same time, from the Federal Government as a senator between June 2011 and October 2013.

The offence is said to be contrary to section 6(a) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act. CAP. C15, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and as incorporated under paragraph 2(a), Part I of the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution.

It is said to be punishable under section 23(2) of the code of conduct bureau and tribunal act as incorporated under paragraph 18, Part I of the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution.

The other additional charge is that Saraki failed to declare to the Code of Conduct Bureau on assumption of office as Governor of Kwara State in 2003, his leasehold interest leasehold in the property at 42, Remi Fani Kayode Street, Ikeja, Lagos.

He was said to have acquired the property  in December 12, 1996 through his company, Skyview Properties Limited from First Finance trust Limited.

The offence is said to be contrary to section 15(1)(2) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, CAP. C15, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and as incorporated under paragraph 11(1) and (2), Part I o the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution.

It is said to be punishable under section 23(2) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act as incorporated under paragraph 18, Part I of the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution.

Source: Punch Ng