Supreme Court stops CCT over Saraki

ITRealms:

The Supreme Court, Thursday, ordered the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to suspend without delay the ongoing trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, ITRealms reports.

The trial next sitting was billed for next week. However the ruling by the Supreme Court has in a way restored sanity in the judiciary after the drama at the CCT last week in which counsels to Saraki had to stage a walkout from the Tribunal after the Chairman had insisted on going ahead with the case in spite of the pendency of the appeal by Saraki at the apex court, a move Saraki’s lawyers described as ‘judicial rascality’.

At the commencement of the hearing on the appeal brought before the Court, ITRealms gathered, counsel to the federal government through, Mr. Rotimi Jacob, SAN, gave an undertaken that the Tribunal will stay action on the trial of Saraki pending the determination of his appeal by the Supreme Court. Saraki is facing a 13-count charge before theTribunal bordering on corruption and false declaration of assets when he was Kwara State Governor between 2003 and 2011.

He however approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the jurisdiction of the tribunal to try him, arguing that it was not properly constituted. But in its ruling, two of the three-man panel of Justices of the Appellate Court threw away all the five issues raised by Saraki and ruled that the Tribunal has jurisdiction to precede with the trial.

ITRealms also recalls that not satisfied with the ruling of the Appeal Court, Saraki approached the Supreme Court, praying it to grant stay of execution of the Appellate Court’s ruling as well as determine whether the Tribunal has jurisdiction.

The implication of the Supreme Court ruling is that the Tribunal would stay off Saraki’s case before it pending the determination of the appeal of Saraki by the apex court.

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Saraki@ Code of Conduct Tribunal, pleads not guilty

ITRealms

The Nigerian Senate President OlubukolaSaraki today submitted himself to the Code of Conduct Tribunal and pleaded not guilty to a 13-count charge, ITRealms reports

Sarakiwho was accompanied by some People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Senators including the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremmadu was at the tribunal to answer to charges of false asset declaration when he was governor of Kwara State.

The Senate President answered not guilty to the 13-count criminal charges read to him by the tribunal.

However, the Code of Conduct Tribunal has stopped the live coverage of the ongoing trial of the Senate President.

ITRealms reports that the Tribunal barred all media outfits from live broadcast of the proceeding, hence the news outfits discontinued their live coverage, even as security was unusually tight at the tribunal, this morning. The Senate President and former governor of Kwara State, BukolaSaraki, appeared at the Danladi Umar-led Tribunal about 9.30 a.m. 

The Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court, both sitting in Abuja, yesterday, refused to shield the Senate President, DrBukolaSaraki from being arraigned at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, on a 13-count criminal charge bordering on false declaration of assets preferred against him.

The Senate President had approached both courts to provide him shelter and save him from being docked, ITRealms gathered., 2015.

Information also revealed that the trial of Saraki has been adjourned till October 21.

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Saraki bows to pressure, accepts to appear before Tribunal tomorrow

ITRealms:

The President of the Senate, BukolaSaraki, has finally bowed to pressure by accepting to appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) tomorrow, Tuesday, ITRealms reports.

The press statement reaching ITRealms signed by his Media Office, read that the “Senate President, Dr. Abubaka rBukola Saraki would appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal tomorrow, Tuesday 22,September 2015”; even as the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Yakubu Umar, has issued a fresh arrest warrant on Nigerian Senate President, Bukola Saraki after a short adjournment at the resumed hearing over his false declaration of assets.

Judge Umar ordered the Inspector General of Police and other security agents to bring Dr. Saraki before his court unfailingly by 10 am tomorrow.

Whereas “the Senate President had stated and maintained that he is ready to submit himself to due process of the law on any issue concerning him, he also believes that he has an inalienable right to resort to the same judiciary for protection when he feels his fundamental rights are about to be infringed upon,” the statement said.

Further, the Senate President claimed that as a law abiding citizen and his absence from tribunal was based on legal advice he received from his counsel that it is not necessary for him to appear before the tribunal at this stage since the jurisdiction of the tribunal and the process of initiating the matter are being challenged before the Federal High Court Abuja, ITRealms gathered.

Following the adjournment for the determination of the motion on notice and the substantive suit before the Federal High Court to 30th of September and the appeal pending before the Court of Appeal adjourned to the 29th of September 2015, the Senate President has decided, to appear before the tribunal in the interim.

ITRealms gathered that Dr. Saraki took the decision to attend the Tribunal sitting to demonstrate his respect for the rule of law in spite of his personal reservation on the process of his trial and the purpose it may be intended to serve.

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Saraki criticizes arrest warrant

ITRealms:

 

The Nigerian Senate President, Bukola Saraki has criticized the order for his arrest by the Code of Conduct Tribunal on Friday, saying it is an abuse of rule of law, ITRealms reports.

In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Yusuph Olaniyonu and made available to the media, he said the ruling by the tribunal was inimical to the judicial system.

“The Tribunal today left nobody in doubt that it cannot do justice on the matter before it. The tribunal has equally set a bad precedent in the way and manner it conducted itself during the proceedings. We want to emphasise the fact that this is not part of any war against corruption but using state institutions to fight political opponents.

“And seeking to achieve through the back door what some people cannot get through democratic process. We need to caution here that in a desperate bid to settle political scores and nail imaginary enemies, we should not destroy our democratic institutions and heat the polity for selfish reasons. Let us all learn from history,’’

ITRealms recalled that the Nigeria's Code of Conduct Tribunal issued a warrant for the arrest of Senate President Bukola Saraki on Friday after he failed to appear before the court. The tribunal is a special court that tries asset declaration misdemeanours. It charged Saraki this week with falsely declaring his assets.

The Judge, Danladi Umar said, "Having sworn to protect the constitution, he Saraki) ought to have shown respect to the tribunal by appearing before it today. I hereby issue a bench warrant for his arrest accordingly. This should be effected by the inspector-general of police."

The Senate president is the third most powerful post in the country. Saraki secured the position in June after a no-contest vote, mainly with the backing of the opposition, ITRealms gathered. However, the move outraged some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) who were backing other candidates and were meeting outside of the National Assembly when the decision was made.

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