Again, Saraki’s CCT trial adjourned

Senate President, Bukola Saraki’s trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, for alleged falsification of asset declaration, has been adjourned till March 18.

The court adjourned the trial after the prosecution and the defence counsels agreed on next the date for the argument of the motion on the jurisdiction of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to try Senate President Bukola Saraki.

In his ruling, President of the CCT, Danladi Umar, ordered the defence to ensure that he served all motions and processes on the prosecution counsel to avoid further delay of the trial.

He subsequently adjourned the case to Friday, March 18, 2016, for moving of the motion and possible hearing of the substantive matter.

Read also: CCT Trial: Saraki raises alarm over blackmail plot

The Senate President had arrived the CCT at about 9:56am in company of about 30 senators. Prominent among them were Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, Ben Murray-Bruce, Dino Melaye, Stella Oduah, Samuel Anyanwu.

Saraki was expected to be confronted by witnesses who will testify that he lied in the assets declaration forms he submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB during his eight years tenure as governor of Kwara State before the adjournment.

Saraki was in court with 66 lawyers on his defence team, led by Kanu Agabi, who took about 10 minutes to read the long list of advocates and for them to acknowledge their presence at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

In the 13-count charge brought by the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, against Senator Saraki, in September, 2015, the CCB had alleged that he made false claims in the four assets declarations forms he submitted on his assumption and exit from office at different times between 2003 and 2011.

The CCB specifically said the Senate President allegedly corruptly acquired many properties while in office as Governor of Kwara State. It also said some of the assets traced to him at the end of his tenure as governor were not declared in the assets declaration forms he filled and submitted on assumption of office.

He was also accused of making anticipatory declaration of assets as some of the assets he listed as belonging to him upon his assumption of office as governor was discovered to have been acquired later.

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