Alleged false asset declaration: Saraki closes defence after one witness
- Senate president, Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday, February 6, closed his defence in the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT)
- Saraki is standing trial for allegedly altering his asset declaration forms when he was the governor of Kwara state
- The Senate president has consistently insisted that the trial was as a result of his emergence as Nigeria's third ranking citizen
Senate president, Bukola Saraki, standing trial on allegations of false asset declaration at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT on Tuesday, February 6, closed its defence after calling on its first witness, Dr Ademola Adebo.
Although, Saraki, through his counsel, Paul Usoro (SAN) at the commencement of proceedings on Monday, February 5, told the tribunal that he has lined up four witnesses to testify in his favour.
He however, made a u-turn when the legal team decided to limit themselves to the first witness.
READ ALSO: Planned move to impeach Saraki will fail - Baraje
Shortly after the lone defence witness was cross examined by the prosecution witness, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), the tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar, asked parties for direction for further proceedings, Kanu Agabi (SAN), lead counsel to Saraki, conferred with his client in the box and at the end of the conversation, announced that the defence would no longer call the remaining witnesses.
He consequently applied for a date for adjournment to enable parties adopt their final addresses.
Chairman of tribunal, subsequently adjourned the matter till Tuesday, February 27.
Although Saraki was arraigned in 2015 on 18 count charge, the tribunal had on June 13, 2017, discharged and acquitted Saraki on the grounds of a no case submission.
The tribunal had held that the charges against him were based on hearsay.
However, the Court of Appeal in delivering judgment on an appeal filed by the federal government nullified 15 of the charges and ordered the Senate president to respond to only three counts, prompting Saraki to return to the CCT on Monday, February 5.
With this development, the two parties would on Tuesday, February 27 address the tribunal on contentious issues only after which a date for final judgment be fixed.
Meanwhile, during cross examination, a defense witness, Dr. Ademola Adebo told the tribunal that there was no contradictions in Saraki's asset declaration forms as regards charges four, five and six that the Court of Appeal asked Saraki to explain.
READ ALSO: Saraki reacts to trial of CCT chairman Umar over alleged N10m bribery
The Senate president had expressed confidence that he will get his name cleared of all the charges leveled against him at the CCT via his social media pages on Monday, February 5.
Saraki said he chose to appear before the tribunal despite having a pending appeal before the Supreme Court on the same matter.
He said his lawyers had advised him to apply for a stay of the CCT proceedings pending the determination of his appeal earlier filed before the Supreme Court but he had a different opinion on the matter.
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Source: Legit.ng
