…Witness says evidence doesn’t links Saraki to undeclared property
From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, openly confessed yesterday that the tribunal was under external pressure to convict former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu who was dragged before it over false declaration of assets and operation of foreign accounts by the Federal Government in 2012.
Umar made the declaration at the resumed hearing of the case involving Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, charged with false asset declaration, an offence he allegedly committed during his tenure as governor of Kwara State.
Umar, however, vowed to resist similar pressure if it comes in respect of those being tried at the moment, even as he dismissed as false, allegations that he was being influenced to see the conviction of Saraki.
“During Bola Tinibu’s case, we were under influence to convict him but we did the right thing. I swear by the Almighty Allah to do justice. On our part, the insinuation that we are being influenced to see the conviction of the accused is false. During Bola Tinubu ‘s case, we were under influence to convict him but we did the right thing,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Michael Wetkas, prosecution witness in the ongoing trial and staff of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has admitted that there was no evidence to show Saraki bought the property at 15 McDonald Street, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Wetkas had earlier told the tribunal that the Senate President during his assets declaration of 2008 did not declare the property of 15a Macdonald Street Ikoyi, Lagos.
Asked if the EFCC’s investigating team came across any document during their investigation that the said property was bought personally by Saraki, Wetkas answered: “We didn’t come across any document that says the property was personally bought for Saraki but we believe this because the property was paid for through the account of Carlye Property and Skyview Properties which he declared.