An Appeal Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory on Tuesday ruled that the Senate President, Bukola Saraki must face trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) contrary to his earlier acquittal by the court. The Appeal Court led by Justice Tinuade Akomolafe-Wilson had dismissed 15 out of the 18 counts charges bothering on false assets declaration instituted against Saraki by the Federal Government. The court ordered that the Senate President must return to the CCT to face trial on the three remaining count charges.
The Federal Government had approached the Appeal Court challenging the acquittal of Saraki by the CCT in June.
The CCT had discharged and acquitted him of all the 18 charges and other related offences. The CCT chairman, Danladi Umar, in his lead ruling, exonerated Saraki of all the charges on, among other grounds, the failure of the prosecution to obtain Saraki’s statement and make it part of the proof of evidence.
He also held that it was absurd that neither Saraki’s statement nor the report of the investigation said to have been carried out was produced before the tribunal. Danladi also described some of the evidence provided by witnesses as unreliable.
