Sixty Five Lawyers Represent Senate President Saraki As Code Of Conduct Tribunal Begins

The Code of Conduct Tribunal has adjourned the trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to March I8.

The tribunal, Friday, took the decision after Mr. Saraki’s new lawyer, Kanu Agabi, asked the tribunal to rule first on the senate president’s objection to the powers of the tribunal to try him.

Mr. Saraki is facing charges of alleged false asset declaration and corruption.

The senate president’s bid to thwart the trial failed after the Supreme Court said the tribunal has powers and was constituted to hear the case against Mr. Saraki.

On resumption of the case at the tribunal, Mr. Agabi, a former Attorney General of the Federation, who led 64 other lawyers to represent Mr. Saraki, presented a fresh motion, seeking a ruling from the chairman of the tribunal, Umar Danladi, on the initial application that the tribunal lacked the jurisdiction to try Mr. Saraki.

Mr. Agabi said a copy of the application had been presented before the Ministry of Justice and was also addressed to the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs.

He argued that the tribunal chair had an an obligation to rule on the new application.

President of the CCT, Danladi Umar, had asked the defence to ensure that he served all motions and processes on the prosecution counsel to avoid further delay of the trial.

He therefore adjourned the case to Friday, March 18, 2016, for moving of the motion and possible hearing of the substantive matter.

The Senate President sat in the dock as the lawyers prosecution and the defence exchanged arguments.