CCT frees Justice Ngwuta in false asset declaration case

Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, who has been standing trial for false asset declaration, was on Tuesday freed by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

In its ruling on the matter, a two-man panel of the CCT, agreed with the argument of Ngwuta that as a serving justice of the Supreme Court, he could not be tried in any court or tribunal, until he had been subjected to the investigatory and disciplinary processes of the National Judicial Council (NJC).

The tribunal also based its ruling on the judgment of the Court of Appeal in the case of Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa.

The appellant court had in a December 2017, ruled in Nganjiwa’s matter that by virtue of Section 158 of the 1999 Constitution, that only the NJC has the powers to try judicial officers for any misconduct while in office.

On Tuesday therefore, the tribunal held that Ngwuta could not be prosecuted by any court of tribunal until the NJC deals with the allegations against him and metes out to him any sanction it deems necessary.

Following that argument, the CCT quashed the charges against Justice Ngwuta and discharged him.

The judgment came even as a Federal High Court in Abuja had also in its ruling in the case leveled against Ngwuta by the Federal Government, held that the prosecution in Justice Ngwuta’s case failed to comply with the condition precedent before bringing charges against a judicial officer.

 

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