Senate President, Bukola Saraki, was yesterday arraigned before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, where he pleaded not guilty to the 13-count charge of alleged false assets declaration preferred against him by the Federal Government.
Shortly after the first of the charge was read to him, the accused informed the tribunal that the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, violated its own law following its deliberate refusal to first invite him (Saraki) for clarifications of the discrepancies in his assets declaration forms as provided for under section 6 of the CCB Act 2004.
Meanwhile, the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) hearing has been adjourned till the 22nd, 23rd and 24th of October, 2015.
Saraki, who used his arraignment to open up, told the tribunal that he was being brought for trial because of his new status as Senate President.
He expressed shock over the charges preferred against him, stressing that he was seeing them for the first time.
The Senate president also urged the tribunal, headed by Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar, to act in the best interest of justice and not in favour of external forces that were out to fight him on vendetta.
“I am one of the strongest believers in the rule of law. I am a law abiding citizen and my faith in the judiciary remains unshaken but when trial is being instigated outside the purview of normal procedure, then the tribunal must watch it and must be on the side of justice,” Saraki said.
Prosecution team, led by Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, had briefed the tribunal on how the accused, while in office as the governor of Kwara State, filled four different assets declaration forms with the first one in 2003 and the second in 2007.
The third was also in 2007, while the fourth was filled in 2011, when he left office as governor.
Jacobs among others alleged that the Senate president made anticipatory assets declaration while in other cases, he failed to declare other properties acquired while in office as governor.
He also alleged that the senator operated two foreign accounts in the United Kingdom while in the office as governor and made some huge bank deposits in foreign currencies
The alleged offences were said to be contrary to section 15 of the CCB and CCT Act 2004.
The prosecuting counsel also announced his intention to tender the four assets declaration forms as exhibits and that he would also call five witnesses to give evidence against the senator.
After the presentation of facts of the case by the prosecution, the tribunal chairman ordered that the bench warrant earlier issued against Saraki for police to arrest him has been vacated and that the accused should go home.
Justice Umar also announced that the tribunal would hear all the motions already filed by the accused to challenge the jurisdiction of the tribunal before going into the main issue.
“It is not the intention of this tribunal to shut out the accused person in the numerous applications he has filed. It is in the interest of justice that we will hear all the motions in one way or on the other before going into the main case,” Justice Umar said.
Earlier the defence team, led by Mr. Joseph Daudu, SAN, a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, had insisted that Saraki would not be docked by the tribunal until all his motions challenging the jurisdictions of the tribunal are disposed off.
Daudu premised his argument on the fact that until the issue of jurisdiction was first determined, the plea of any accused could not be taken.
Jacob however countered the arguments, claiming that the first thing for a court or tribunal was to take the plea of any accused standing trial before listening to him on any point.
Justice Umar upheld the submission of the prosecution and ordered Saraki to enter the dock which he complied with.
Meanwhile, despite the network of security woven around the venue of the trial, sympathisers of the Kwara State-born politician were able to penetrate to show solidarity with their political idol.
Clad in carton colour ‘agbada’ brocade with a matching cap, Saraki waved ceaselessly to the cheering crowd as they shouted adoringly to him when he alighted from the 32-seater, tinted coaster bus, which brought him in company of some senators to the tribunal.
The ovation became even louder when Saraki, who as initially speculated, would be remanded in prison by the tribunal was let off the hook.
“Sai Bukky, Sai Nigeria, Baa Bukky, Baa Nigeria,” was part of the chanting that rented the air as Saraki walked back to the same coaster bus that brought him to the tribunal.
The Senate president was to meet even more surging, chanting and cheering crowd as he made his way to his Maitama, Abuja residence.
The entire neighborhood of his Maitama residence was literally taken over by sympathisers, who came from as far as his home state to receive him.
Once Saraki was cited by the supporters, they erupted in jubilation, singing and praising the politician in his native Yoruba language.
Inside the tribunal chambers proper, the crowd intermittently disrupted the sitting as they jeered occasionally when the lead prosecution counsel made remarks considered to be unfavourable to the Senate president.
In the same vein, the crowd also cheered when favourabe remarks were made about Saraki.
The high point of this was when the tribunal chairman pronounced that Saraki was granted bail on self-recognition. At this point, the crowd threw all cautions to the wind, as they erupted in joy.
Overwhelmed by the level of solidarity, the prosecuting counsel, had to intervene to point the attention of the tribunal chairman to what was happening, even as he urged Umar to compel Saraki to pledge to be of good conduct.
Jacob’s application was promptly opposed by Daudu, who reminded the tribunal that as politicians, it would be difficult to control the actions and conducts of Saraki’s supporters.
Also at the tribunal to show solidarity with Saraki were about 60 senators, including his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu.
Some of the other senators cited at the tribunal included Shaaba Lafiaji, Theodore Orji, Mao Ohuabunwa, Samuel Egwu, Ben Murray-Bruce, Aliyu Wamakko, Gilbert Nnaji, Kabiru Gaya, Alasoadura and Samuel Anyawu.
Others were Foster Ogola, Sunny Ogbuoji, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Isa Hamma Missau, Emmanuel Paulker, Obinna Ogba, Kaura Tijani, Clifford Ordia, Ibrahim Abdullahi, Peter Nwaoboshi, Rose Okoh, Mohammed Ohiare, Gershom Bassey and Olaka Nwogu, among others.
In a statement issued after the tribunal’s sitting and signed by Senator Ibrahim Abdullahi Danbaba, on behalf of the Eighth Senate, the lawmakers pledged unalloyed loyalty to Saraki.
Danbaba reinstated his colleagues’ support for Saraki as the popular choice leader for the Senate, even as he commended the decision of the Senate president to voluntarily appear before the tribunal.
The lawmakers expressed the belief that at the end of the trial, the country’s democracy and the people would end up as the beneficiaries. – National Mirror.
