“Please put an end to the trial”, Saraki’s lawyer appeals to CCT judge

Kanu Agabi, counsel to Senate President Bukola Saraki, has appealed to Danladi Umar, chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), to end Saraki’s trial.

 

The nation’s number three citizen is facing 16 counts of false asset declaration brought against him by the government, and his trial continued on Wednesday.

 

Welcoming counsel for the prosecution and the defence to the tribunal, Umar said he hoped that this year’s proceedings would be rancour free.

 

He also said he? believed everyone was happy to be back at the tribunal.

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But Agabi quickly rose to say the defence was not happy to be at the tribunal.

 

“Our prayer this year is that you free us from all these. We are not happy to be here,” he said.

 

“It is my fervent prayer is that this matter will end in peace.”

Saraki’s Trial: Senators Summon Tribunal Judge

Panel: you must appear on Thursday
I won’t come, says Judge
‘My trial won’t disturb Senate,’ says Saraki

Senators may have set the stage for a major confrontation between them and the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) over Senate President Bukola Saraki’s trial for alleged falsification of assets.
The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions yesterday summoned CCT Chairman Justice Danladi Umar over allegations of corruption against him.
The invitation, coming on a day Justice Umar said Saraki’s trial will run daily, appeared a new twist to the matter.
In a letter signed yesterday by the Clerk of the Committee, Freedom Odolo,the Senate asked Justice Umar to appear unfailingly by 2pm on Thursday.
But Justice Umar replied the committee that he has a court sitting on Thursday and throughout the week.
He said he would not be available until after the court sittings, which is on Saraki’s trial.
The invitation letter was delivered to the CCT chairman shortly after he ruled that the tribunal will be sitting daily from 9am to 6pm.

The committee said: “Your letter with reference number CCT/HQ/ 126/S/ 111/ 515 dated 1st April, 2016 in which you requested for more time to enable you attend the hearing was received.
“After due consideration of your request, the Committee rescheduled the hearing to give you at least two weeks from the 4th of April when you should have appeared.
“Accordingly, you are now required to appear unfailingly as follows: Thursday, 21st April, 2016, Meeting Room 120 New Senate Building, National Assembly Complex. Time: 2pm
“Please, remember to come personally along with 12 copies of any written submission you may wish to present.”
A source said: “The battle line is drawn between the Senate and the CCT chairman. Some Senators are angry over his decision to allow the tribunal to sit from 9am to 6pm.
“They saw the CCT Chairman’s decision as a plot to deny Saraki any opportunity to preside over the Senate plenary throughout his trial.
“Now, these Senators have also launched a counter-attack against the CCT chairman by revisiting the outstanding petition against the judge.
“Shortly after the CCT chairman decided to be sitting daily till 6pm, a letter came from the Senate Committee inviting Justice Umar on the outstanding petition against him.”
But a source in CCT said: “The judge has asked the Registrar of the tribunal to write the Senate committee that he has a court sitting on Thursday and throughout the week and won’t be able to honour the summons.
“The CCT Chairman’s letter was sent last night to the committee”

Credit : The Nation

False Asset Declaration: Saraki Flies In Experts From US, Israel To Prove His Innocence

Senate President, Bukola Saraki has reportedly flown in forensic experts from the United States and Israel to work with his legal team in a bid to win his ongoing trial of false assets declaration at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT.

 
The experts, according to a Thisday report, include investigators, forensic and handwriting specialists with the mandate to provide information on witnesses and documents presented at the tribunal by the prosecution.

 

A source who spoke with the newspaper on Wednesday said the information from the experts would assist Saraki’s legal team present a credible defence at the Tribunal.
The source said, “The investigators will ferret out and scrutinise thoroughly, all available information on the eight prosecution witnesses, including their school records, service records from the past and present, places of employment and personal information that may help the defence team in the course of the trial.

 

“Most of those so-called witnesses will not be credible when information concerning their life is presented publicly before the tribunal.

 

“It is also expected that with the fear that the prosecution may present forged documents, our team needs to be vigilant and pro-active considering the manner in which the proceedings before the tribunal is being conducted.

 

“Our people believe that with the way properties that have nothing to do with Saraki are being put on the charge sheet, there is the suspicion that the documents to sustain their claims may have been forged.
“All these, the experts will screen and help the lawyers with information that may help them.”

 

Credit : ThisDay

CCT trial: Senate Caucuses Meet, Discuss Saraki’s Fate

Members of the Senate met separately at various caucus levels on Monday to discuss the fate of Senate President Bukola Saraki, who is to resume his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal over alleged false declaration of assets.

 

It was gathered that the lawmakers discussed the issues peculiar to their interest, especially the likely effect of the trial of Saraki at the CCT.

 

The Supreme Court had on February 5 ruled that Saraki should face his trial over false asset declaration.

 

There are fears among senators, who resume plenary on Tuesday (today), which they suspended two weeks ago, that there could be another move to challenge Saraki’s leadership at the Senate over his trial.

It is further feared that Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, may be removed if they are found guilty by the CCT.

 

Investigations by Punch revealed that the Peoples Democratic Party caucus in the upper chamber met in the house of one of their leaders and resolved to support the Saraki/Ekweremadu joint ticket.

 

A PDP senator, who craved anonymity, said that his colleagues had agreed to maintain decorum in case the All Progressives Congress Senators, who are against Saraki’s leadership, decide to create any scene on the floor today.

 

The Senator from the South-East geopolitical zone, said, “As members of the opposition, we are ready to pass another vote of confidence in Saraki because he is truly a stabilising factor in the nation’s legislature.

“He commands a lot of respect among majority of members. He is accessible and he carries everyone along, not minding your political party or group affiliation within the Senate.

“So, as PDP senators, we believe that the Senate President should be given the benefit of the doubt as he pleads his case before the tribunal.”

 

However, it was learnt that the Senate Unity Forum, the group that pushed for the emergence of Senator Ahmad Lawan and George Akume as Senate President and deputy respectively, also held another marathon meeting at an undisclosed location on Monday.

 

None of the members spoke on record but one of them from the South-West said they met to perfect their strategy to produce the next Senate President in case Saraki was indicted at the court.

 

The lawmaker added, “We have been meeting as members and strategising on an individual basis. I can assure you that we have our game plan, which we will keep to ourselves.”

 

Asked whether the nation should expect a rowdy or stormy session during plenary today, the Senator said, “We are senior citizens, we can’t fight on the floor. We are already winning the battle; very soon, you will see us in action.”

 

The leadership of the Senate was also said to have engaged in another round of strategic meetings on Monday, which allegedly led to an emergency meeting between the Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, and President Muhammadu Buhari at Aso Villa.

 

But Ndume told journalists in his office that his visit to the Villa on Monday had nothing to do with Saraki’s case as he ruled out a possible rowdy session during plenary on Tuesday (today).

 

He said, “I have been a friend of President Buhari for a long time and had continued to visit him and will not relent. As the Leader of the Senate, there are lots of consultations that are necessary between the executive and the legislature.

“I am happy to be seen or called a mediator: I am the Senate Leader and we do consultations, I go to do consultation and we should be doing that more often. When the President was in Kaduna on retirement, I was one of the few persons who would go to visit him; so this time round, it will not change.”

Ndume had, last Tuesday, met with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo alongside some of his colleagues while Buhari was on vacation.

It was reported that the visit of Ndume and his delegation to Osinbajo was part of the ways the embattled Senate President was seeking the Presidency’s intervention in his case before the Code of Conduct Tribunal over alleged false declaration of assets.

 

He, however, told State House correspondents at the end of his meeting with Buhari on Monday that he was at the Presidential Villa to consult with the President ahead of Tuesday’s resumption of the Senate.

 

He said there was nothing unusual about his visit except that he had been embarking on similar visits in the nights.

 

Ndume said, “I hope you people know that I am the Senate Leader and this is an APC (All Progressives Congress) government. So if the Senate Leader comes to see the Vice President or the President in the Villa, is it supposed to be a surprise?

“I guess it is because most often, I come in the night but this time, I came in the afternoon and it becomes very strange.

“There are issues that are really on the ground. One is the budget. We also have two bills before the Senate that we need to start working on when we resume tomorrow: the Money Laundering Bill and the Criminal Information Sharing Bill.

“There are issues other than those ones that are really on the ground. This is how we are supposed to be doing it earlier. That is, coming to the Villa to consult and guide the proceedings in the Senate appropriately.

“Other than that, I don’t want you to see it as an unusual visit. I will be doing this often because this is how it is supposed to be.

“Again, I was consulting the President on a personal basis long before he became the President, so it is not unusual.”

 

 

When he was asked to comment on the report that he was serving as an intermediary between Saraki and the President, Ndume said, “I am not the Senate President. The question should be directed to the Senate President.”

 

When probed further, the Senate Leader said, “You are asking me what I do not know. I consult and if I have to mediate on anything, there should be a problem. I do not know of any problem.”

 

Credit : Punch

Saraki’s CCT Trial Begins March 10

Trial of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on 13 counts of false assets declaration is to resume March 10 before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

Our correspondent confirmed that the CCT ?issued hearing notices and served same on parties to the case on Friday.

This followed a letter written on behalf of the Federal Government by the lead prosecuting counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), intimating the tribunal of the recent judgment of the Supreme Court validating the ?trial.

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.

The Head, Press and Public Relations of the CCT, Mr. Ibraheem Al-hassan, confirmed to our correspondent that the tribunal issued and served hearing notices on the parties on Friday.

“We have issued and served the hearing notice today,” Alhassan said.

Credit: Punch

CCT Trial: Saraki Files Appeal At Supreme Court

The Nigerian Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has appealed the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which on October 30 affirmed the jurisdiction of the Code of Conduct Tribunal to try him on 13 counts of false assets declaration.

Senator Saraki also filed an application for stay of proceedings urging the Supreme Court to halt the proceedings of the Code of conduct Tribunal to try him for the alleged offences pending when his appeal would be determined.

The Senate President raised seven grounds of appeal in his notice of appeal filed on Tuesday and attached to the application for stay of proceedings.

Dr Saraki urged the Supreme Court to set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal, the entire proceedings of the Code of Conduct Tribunal and the charges preferred against him before the Tribunal.

He claimed that the Appeal Court erred in law when it 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 Nigerian Constitution.

The Senate President also faulted the majority decision of the Appeal Court where it held that there was lacuna regarding the quorum of the Tribunal.

Credit: ChannelsTV