The Federal Government on Thursday arraigned a suspended Justice of the Supreme, Justice Sylvester Ngwuta before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) Abuja.
He is charged on an amended 8-count charge of false assets declaration, for which he pleaded not guilty. Ngwuta was initially charged with 10 counts but later amended to eight counts before the CCT.
He was however granted bail on self recognition, as the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation represented by Mr Umar Muhammed, Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, did not oppose the application.
According to him, bail granting was at the discretion of the court.
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Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), counsel to the defendant, had made an oral application seeking the bail of his client on self-recognisance.
Danladi Umar, chairman of the tribunal, thereafter granted the bail application and fixed July 12 for commencement of trial.
The Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), had averred that Ngwuta contravened Section 15 of Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
Malami noted, that false declaration of assets was punishable under Section 23 (2) of the Act.
Ngwuta is among judges whose residence was raided by the Department of State Service (DSS) last year.
The agency claimed it uncovered huge sums of money in various denominations.
Ngwuta is also presently standing trial before Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on an amended 16-count charge bordering on money laundering.
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