FG files charges against Ngwuta, Ademola at CCT

The Federal Government has filed two separate charges against Supreme Court judge, Justice Sylvester Nwali Ngwuta, and and his Federal High Court counterpart, Justice Adeniyi Francis Adetokunbo Ademola, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
According to the charge, the two justices were said to have contravened the Code of Conduct Bureau Act.
In the charge before the tribunal, Justice Ngwuta was said to have been engaged in private business as a public officer, contrary to Section 6(b) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.
He is also alleged to have refused to declare his assets as a public officer contrary to Section 15 of the Code of Conduct Bureau Act, Cap C15 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and Punishable under Section 23(2) of the same Act.
Justice Ngwuta is expected to face a 10-count charge.
Part of the charges against read: “Between 2nd June 2011 and 19th July 2016 while serving as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Tribunal, did make a false declaration of assets” to the CCB when he failed to declare three duplexes at Chinedu Ogah Avenue, Ntezi, Aba in Abakaliki, while being a Justice of the Supreme Court.”
Ngwuta is also alleged in the second count to have between the June 2, 2011 and July 19, 2016, while serving as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria made a false declaration to the CCB when he failed to declare 22 plots of land at Chief Igwe Uga Avenue, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, while the third count stated that he failed to declare six plots of land at Frank Okoroafor Avenue, Abakaliki.
Count four alleged that Justice Ngwuta failed to declare Peugeot Saloon with Vehicle No: VRG55513890295200 and Chassis No: VF34B5FV9BS069213, Registration No: ABC566RL and count five revealed that he failed to declare a Wrangler Jeep with Vehicle No: VRG55535620346898 and Chassis No: IJ4GA591581626734, Registration No: RSH526AJ.
The Federal Government’s sixth count against him is that he failed to declare a Toyota Jeep with Vehicle No: VRG77746877423115 and Chassis No: 5TDDY5G1XAS028067, with Registration No: KWL550BS.
His seventh count stipulates that he failed to declare a BMW 5 Series Saloon with Vehicle No: 7779067484832 and Chassis No: WBSWL91060P323876 with Registration No: KUJ510FU.
The eight count levelled against Justice Sylvester Ngwuta is that he failed to declare a Liberty Jeep with Vehicle No: VRG77746817425807 and Chassis No: 1J8GP28KX9W550564 with Registration No: RBC570DP, while his ninth count allege that “between the 1st day of August 2014 and the 16thday of July 2015, corruptly received from Mr. Ogudu Nwadire, through your personal bank account numbered 0018113021 domiciled at Union Bank PLC, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, the total sum of Thirty-Six Million, Three Hundred and Ten Thousand Naira (NGN 36, 310,00.00) in the discharge of your official duties as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(3) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Cap C15 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under Section 23(2) of the same Act.”
The final count reads: “Sylvester Nwali Ngwuta between the 2nd June 2011 and 19th July 2016 in Abuja, while serving as a Justice of the Supreme Coiurt of Nigeria and within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Tribunal did engage in purchase and sale of rice, palm oil and other related products, while being a Justice of the Supreme Court and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6 of the Code Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Cap C15 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under Section 23(2) of the same Act.”