The
Supreme Court will tomorrow, February 5, rule on the appeal of the Senate
president Bukola Saraki, challenging the decision of the Appeal Court which
upheld the decision that the code of conduct tribunal (CCT) has the authority
to try him for corruption-related charges.
Senate president Bukola Saraki: facing a 13-count charge of false assets declaration made in 2003 as Governor of Kwara State before the CCT.
Saraki
is facing a 13-count charge of false assets declaration, which he allegedly
made in 2003 as Governor of Kwara State before the CCT.
The
Senate president, according to Sahara Reporters, had challenged the
jurisdiction of the tribunal on the ground that it lacked jurisdiction to
try him and that it was not properly constituted.
He
also argued that it comprised two instead of three members as provided for
by the constitution.
But
the Court of Appeal ruled that that it was within the CCT’s jurisdiction to try
Saraki in a split judgment.
However,
a 3-man panel on the Supreme Court on December 4, 2015, ordered a stay of
proceeding by the tribunal, pending the determination of the appeal and asked
the counsels to exchange their brief of argument within 14 days. The apex court
then fixed February 5, 2016, to deliver its judgement.
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Meanwhile,
a personal assistant to the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal has been
arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged
fraud.
The
aide, Ali Abdullahi, is facing a two-count charge for allegedly providing false
information to the EFCC during the commission’s investigation of a case of
false asset declaration by a former official of the Nigerian Customs Service,
Rasheed Owolabi.
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