Senate Forgery: Court Shifts Saraki, Ekweremadu’s Trial to June 27

Tue, Jun 21, 2016
By publisher
2 MIN READ

BREAKING NEWS, Politics

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JUSTICE Yusuf Halilu of Abuja High Court has on Tuesday, June 21, deferred the arraignment of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and forgery, till June 27. The court also ordered substituted service of the charge on the defendants by pasting it at the notice board of the National Assembly.

The order followed an oral application by the prosecuting counsel, David Kaswe, who told the court that effecting personal service of the charge on the defendants proved “very difficult.” Kaswe said the prosecution had also deposed an affidavit to show efforts it made to furnish the defendants with copies of the charge against them.

He, therefore, urged the court to invoke sections 123 and 124 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, and okay that the charge be served on the defendants by substituted means. In a brief ruling, Justice Halilu acceded to the request, though he noted that the prosecution ought to have supported the application with a motion ex-parte.

However, the Judge said he was minded to grant the oral request for substituted service considering the need for the defendants to be aware of the criminal charge pending against them. The case was subsequently adjourned till June 27 for arraignment of the defendants. Other defendants in the charge marked CR/219/16, are the former Clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa and his deputy, Benedict Efeturi. The four defendants were accused of complicity in alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Orders, 2015. The alleged bogus Standing Order was used to conduct the July 9, 2015, election through which both Saraki and Ekweremadu took over the leadership of the Senate. – Vanguard

—  Jun 21, 2016 @ 15:05 GMT

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