CCT Chairman Refuses To Disqualify Self From Saraki’s Trial, Wants To Be The One To Prosecute Senate President

The trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki will continue on May 10, the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Justice Danladi Umar said yesterday.

The tribunal also dismissed an application by Saraki asking the chairman to disqualify himself from the trial.

Saraki is facing trial over allegation of false declaration of assets.

Umar said since no case was found against him, his trial could not have been ordered by the Attorney General, adding that it amounted to undue intimidation by the defence to come up with the application.

“The tribunal holds that the application of counsel to the accused lacks merit and is hereby dismissed in its entirety,” he said.

He gave the ruling on adjournment after the counsel to the defence, Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN) pleaded with the tribunal to grant the defendant a three-week adjournment for the counsels to confer with the defendant and take further instructions as regard the amended charges filed by the prosecution.

He said the original charge was 13 but now there were 16 of them in the amended charges.

According to him, count 14 alleged that the defendant did not declare his interest in a credit card. He said this came out after their cross examination of the witness on charges 11 and 12. He said count 16 was completely new.

Prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacob (SAN) however objected to the three weeks request and urged the chairman of the tribunal not to go beyond the seven days prescribed.