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Again, Nigerian Govt Moves To Amend Saraki’s False Asset Declaration Charge

February 8, 2017

The Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, has again amended the charges brought against Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Mr. Saraki is facing trial on a 16-count charge for alleged false asset declaration at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Abuja.

The trial, which began in September 2015, was earlier amended in 2016, with an addition of three charges.

A prosecution witness, Samuel Madojemu, was already in the dock presenting his evidence when the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, announced his decision to amend the charges against Mr. Saraki.

After informing the tribunal about the application for hearing on the amended charge, the tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar, said he had not been briefed about the decision to amend the charges.

The defense counsel, however, said they had been served with a motion for the amendment of charge by the prosecution.

Subsequently, the matter was stood down for an hour for hearing on the application to amend the charges.

Earlier Mr. Madojemu, who was head of an investigation at the CCB, told the tribunal that investigation which led to the trial of Mr. Saraki had been triggered by a previous investigation conducted by a presidential investigation team in 2006.

“When we joined the team, a review of the investigation was done by the CCB, EFCC and other members of the team. In the course of the review, the team discovered that there was a previous report by a Presidential investigation team set up in 2006 consisting the CCB, EFCC and the SSS.

“It was that report which covered the beginning of tenure 2003 of the defendant. That report was what triggered the investigation,” he said.

Mr. Saraki was Kwara governor between 2003 and 2011.

Mr. Madojemu explained that the said investigation began with the EFCC after which the Commission forwarded the result of its investigation to the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.

He said the AGF found the infractions allegedly committed had to do with the false declaration of asset and that was how the Code of Conduct Bureau was invited into the matter.

The trial will continue later on Wednesday after the one-hour adjournment.

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