After about seven months of dragging, the trial of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, over alleged false declaration of assets while he was the Governor of Kwara State begins today before the Code of Conduct of Tribunal (CCT) sitting in Abuja. This was just as the prosecution, led by Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) and defence team led by Kanu Agabi (SAN) said they are ready for the legal fireworks.
Speaking on their readiness for the trial a member of the prosecution team, who prefers anonymity, told New Telegraph that they are ready for the trial as all their witnesses are available. “I am sure the D-day has come when we will prove to the whole world the atrocities the Senate president committed while he was the governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011.
All our witnesses are ready and we are also set to present them to the tribunal. “You can see that they have gone to the length they could go and they are back at the tribunal where we have patiently waited for them. Everything is in intact as the trial starts tomorrow,” he stated.
The prosecution had lined up eight witnesses against Saraki, among who include detectives that investigated four assets declaration forms the Senate President submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). Others are Yahaya Bello, Michael Wetkas, Mustapha Abubakar Musa, Nura Ali Bako, Adamu Garba, Samuel Madojemu, Abdulrahaman Bayo Dauda and Nwachukwu Amazu.
However, also expressing readiness for the trial, a lawyer in the defence team who spoke with New Telegraph under the condition of anonymity, said they are also ready for the prosecution. “We are prepared for the trial; we have insisted that this trial is sheer prosecution and when the trial starts tomorrow (today), everyone will see clearly what we are saying.
“Let the prosecution bring their witnesses, we are ready to defend our client and prove that he is innocent of all the concocted charges against him. “I won’t talk much on the trial, you also should be at the tribunal to see things for yourself,” he stated. All attempts to get the readiness of the tribunal proved abortive as calls to the public relations officer of the tribunal did not go through.
The Federal Government had, on September 22, 2015 docked Saraki before the Tribunal, on a 13-count criminal charge that bordered on corruption, false declaration of assets and illegal operation of a foreign bank account while in office as a public servant.
Saraki, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge marked ABT/01/15, which the Federal Ministry of Justice preferred against him following a recommendation by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). The trial had, however, lingered for about seven months due to the fact that the Senate had approached the Federal High Court, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court to stop his trial.
The apex court had, however, asked Saraki to return to the tribunal to face his trial. On his return, Saraki had also challenged the jurisdiction of the tribunal to try him. But the chairman of the tribunal, Danladi Umar, in his ruling dismissed Saraki’s application and assumed jurisdiction.
In the charge, Saraki was alleged to have made false declaration in the Assets Declaration Form for Public Officers on assumption of office as Governor of Kwara State in 2003 by making anticipatory declaration of a property, No 15A and 15B McDonald, Ikoyi, Lagos, when in actual fact the property was sold to him in 2006 in the sum of N396,150,000 by the Implementation Committee on the Federal Government Landed Properties.
Saraki was also alleged to have, between October 2006 and May 2007, while he was governor, acquired a property from the Federal Government in the sum of N497,200,000; a sum which is not fairly attributable to his income, gift or loan approved by the Code of Conduct for Public Officers and which he wrongly claimed to have acquired from proceeds of sale of rice and sugar commodities.
In the charge, Saraki was said to have committed the offences under Section 15 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Cap. C15, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and as incorporated under paragraphs 11(1) and (2) of Part I, Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and punishable under Section 23 (2) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act and as incorporated under paragraph 18 of Part I, Fifth Schedule to Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
In addition, Saraki was alleged to have, on June 3, 2011, made a false declaration in the Assets Declaration Form for Public Officers at the end of his tenure as Governor of Kwara State in 2011 by refusing to declare Plot 2A, Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos which he acquired between 2007 and 2008 through his company, Carlisle Properties Limited from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for N325 million.
Saraki was also alleged to be operating a foreign bank account while he was the governor of Kwara State. He was further alleged to have transferred $73, 223.28 from his GTB domiciliary account No 441441953210 to the American Express Bank, New York card account No: 374588216836009.
