Though the suit was scheduled for judgement, however, Justice Kafarati said he was left with no option than to hands-off the matter after his attention was drawn to two online publications alleging that he has been compromised by the Senate President
Browsing: CCT
He averred that the intent of Section 220, 221 and 396 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 is to expeditiously deal with criminal matters without taking recourse to motions that are technical in nature at the expense of the substantive matter before the Tribunal
The Tribunal is compelled to refute the said publications, particularly those contained in ThisDay Newspaper, Leadership and some online media, dated March 21st, 2016. The purported withdrawal of the case was quoted to be based on the case being fundamentally defective
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the AGF had initiated a 13-count charge against Saraki, which he had pleaded not guilty to.
In a fresh application, Saraki contended that only the Code of Conduct Bureau has the power to initiate charges before the tribunal and not the AGF
The application also queried the involvement of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the investigation of the applicant’s assets declaration that remained the constitutional right of only the Code of Conduct Bureau
The Senate had last week directed its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to investigate Marafa’s alleged offensive remarks against the Senate and by extension the National Assembly in the said interview where he amongst others kicked against the N4.7 billion car purchase plan of the 8th Senate and secrecy of accounts of the entire National Assembly
Marafa had in an interview with a national newspaper supported former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s comment on corruption in the National Assembly
However, in a petition addressed to the chairman of NJC by the CSNAC, through its National Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, the coalition urged the council to investigate the role of Oguntade in the probe of Umar, especially as it concerns how the retired judge was alleged to have tried to subvert the course of justice in favour of Rasheed Taiwo, a retired Comptroller of Customs, who had a case with the tribunal
The Committee said it was doing it in order to give Umar fair hearing
However, on Thursday, the prosecution, led by Peter Danladi, rather than call its first witness, proposed to orally amend counts two, three and four, an application which the defence lawyer, Selekowei Larry (SAN), opposed
In official documents obtained by PRNigeria, the anti-graft body claimed that the facts as they are against the CCT Chairman raised just mere suspicious which in law cannot take the place of proof
Submitting the document, Kwewum alleged that former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, had recommended that two persons were to be arrested and investigated for alleged corruption
“What is happening is not a war against corruption. It is a war against Saraki using corrupt means to hound him to submission. This means however have grievous implication for the proposed anti-corruption agenda of the Buhari administration because you cannot successfully prosecute anti-graft war by selectively targeting individuals
The group, through its counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), joined the CCT, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Attorney General of the Federation as the second, third and fourth defendants
They said that they were displeased with the decision of the tribunal refusing their application to stay proceedings in the trial pending the determination of an appeal they filed before the Supreme Court
The charges are: “That you Godsday Peter Orubebe while being a Minister of Federal Republic of Nigeria in charged Niger Delta Affairs, on or about June 29th 2011 did make a false declaration in your Asset Declaration Form by failing to declare plot 2722 Kyamu District Abuja on assumption of office on 26th September 2007 and on leaving office (at the end of your tenure), on June 29, 2011 and you thereby committed an offence under section 15 of Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act Cap C15 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and as incorporated under paragraph 11(1) & (2) of part 1 fifth schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and punishable under section 23(2) of the CCB & T Act and as incorporated under paragraph 18 of part 1, fifth schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended)
The statement is reacting to the absence of the board members at the tribunal’s Senior Management Committee meeting in spite of an invitation by the Chairman, Justice Danladi Umar