BREAKING NEWS, Judiciary
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Buloka Saraki, senate president and Justice Danladi Umar of the Code of Conduct Bureau are in a game of wit as the former delayed appearing at the bureau for more than one hour to preside at the plenary while the later delayed starting the trial for more than one even as prosecution witness disowns documents tendered against Senate President
BUKOLA Saraki, senate president, on Tuesday dared the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, as he held up proceeding for over two hours to preside over senate plenary. In what seems like retaliation, Justice Danladi Umar, chairman of the Tribunal delayed proceedings for more than hour.
Saraki, who is undergoing criminal trial over alleged under-declaration of assets when he held sway as governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011, was expected to appear in person at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, at about 10.am.
Justice Danladi Umar, chairman of CCT, had ruled on Monday that the Senate president’s trial would henceforth commence at 10am and end at 6pm daily.
But Saraki, who had promised that the trial would not affect the smooth running of the Senate called the Red Chamber to order at about 10.30am, presided for about an hour and then left at about 11.31am to attend his trial. Saraki, accompanied by his colleagues arrived the tribunal at 11:55 am.
At the tribunal, the chairman also refused to start trial until one hour, forty minutes after the arrival of Saraki, without any explanation or excuse. The tribunal also declined request by Saraki for a one-week adjournment, insisting that trial must continue on day-to-day basis in line with its earlier ruling. Tribunal chairman, said the decision of the tribunal was in line with the provisions of section 396 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
At the resumed hearing yesterday, a star witness, Michael Wetkas admitted that Saraki declared his assets before and after his tenure as Governor of Kwara State.
He specifically admitted under cross-examination that the Senate president submitted his assets declaration form to the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, in 2003 during his first tenure as Governor of Kwara State and it was stamped by the Bureau confirming that he declared his assets. He further admitted that upon assumption of office for the second term in 2007, Saraki also declared his assets and his assets declaration form was duly stamped by the CCB.
Wetkas also confirmed that in 2011, the Senate president equally declared his assets at the end of his second term as the governor of Kwara State.
The witness, who was cross-examined by Kanu Agabi, SAN, admitted that none of the petitions investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had anything to do with the assets declaration by Saraki.
He also told the tribunal that he was not part of the team that investigated petitions bordering on borrowings by the Kwara State government, alleged misappropriation of monthly revenue account of the 16 local government councils in the state and fraud in operation of Shongai Farms Holdings Limited.
Both petitions dated June 7, 2012, May 2, 2012, were written after Saraki had left office.
Wetkas, who is an investigator, also admitted that he did not investigate the petitions in Exhibits 11, 12 and 13.
Exhibit 11 dated May 22, 2012, contained a petition written by Kwara Freedom Network inviting the EFCC to investigate the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board.
Wetkas had while giving evidence in chief told the tribunal that the petition by the Kwara Freedom Network propelled their investigation.
He, however, turned around during cross-examination to say that his team did not investigate the petition.
Exhibit 12 which was dated May 7, 2011, was addressed to the chairman of the EFCC asking the anti-graft agency to investigate the state government on borrowings for projects described as phoney.
Exhibit 13, however, was a petition dated June 7, 2012, which was about mismanagement of local government revenue in Kwara state between 2003 and 2011.
When asked whether in the course of investigation, he had audience with the accountant general of Kwara State, the witness said he did not as that was not part of his assignment.
Asked whether he got another written document to buttress the petition written by Kwara Freedom Network, the witness said he did not.
When further asked why he tendered documents he did not investigate, the witness said he did not tender the exhibits on his own but were tendered through him by the Prosecution.
Also under cross-examination, the witness admitted that investigating the assets declaration of the defendant did not form part of his schedule of duty.
He added that there was nowhere in the petition they investigated where Saraki’s asset declaration was in contention.
He further added that the investigation of the defendant was based on intelligence report obtained by Ibrahim Lamorde, former chairman of the EFCC, and not the three petitions tendered as exhibits. – SUN
Apr 20, 2016 @ 2:50 GMT
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