Apply same rule as Tinubu’s case, Saraki tells CCT

As tribunal decides his fate March 24

From: GODWIN TSA, Abuja

THE trial of the Senate President, Dr. Bu­kola Saraki has been adjourned till Thursday, March 24, 2016 when the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) will deliver ruling on his mo­tion seeking to quash the charge on false decla­ration of assets brought against him.
Chairman of the Tribunal, Mr. Danladi Yakubu Umar fixed the date yesterday after a prolonged arguments between Saraki’s lead counsel, Chief Godwin Kanu Agabi [SAN] and the prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Ja­cobs [SAN] for and against the motion.
At the resumed hearing, the Senate presi­dent who increased the number of his defence lawyers from 66 to 80 appealed to the tribunal to quash the charge against his client on the ground that the charge was not competent in law.
Canvassing arguments in support of the motion, which was vehemently opposed to by the prosecution counsel, Agabi premised his argument on the ground that the condi­tions precedent for arraignment of Saraki, by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) were not fulfilled.
In addition, the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice claimed that his client was not invited by the Code of Conduct Bureau as required by law to deny or admit the alleged discrepancies in the asset declaration form submitted to the Bureau.
He contended further that up till now, Saraki as a defendant has not made any statement to the Bureau upon which he can be effectively put on trial.
He said the failure of the CCB to fulfill the conditions precedent of summoning Saraki to first make statement on discrepancies in his declared assets was fatal to the charge before tribunal and cannot operate to the detriment of the defendant.
Agabi recalled the trial of former Lagos State Governor, Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was accused of false declaration of assets but was set free by the tribunal because of the failure of the CCB to fulfill necessary condi­tions of inviting him first to make statement on the alleged discrepancies before referring him for trial.
According to him, such measure should also apply to Saraki because he was not first invited by CCB to make statement of denial or confirmation of discrepancies in his assets declaration form.
Agabi who was a former AGF and minis­ter of Justice also recalled of ten other former governors who had the opportunity of being invited to defend their asset declaration before CCB and where not referred to the tribunal after tacking explanations on their declared assets.
He there urged the tribunal to dismiss the charge against Saraki for being incompetent, baseless and having been filed without observ­ing the due process of the law.
However, in a vehement opposition to the application to quash the charge, counsel to the Federal Government, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), accused the defendant of engaging in abuse of court process and that what Saraki was asking for had been determined by various courts.
He said the Ministry of Justice referred the trial of Saraki to the CCB on the strength of joint investigation carried out by EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in which the defendant was found to have pro­cured assets that were not declared in his form.
On the issue of Tinubu that was set free by the tribunal on the failure of the CCB to fulfill the conditions precedent, Jacobs opined that the tribunal was in error in arriving at that deci­sion in setting Tinubu free.