Supreme Court fixes date to rule on Saraki’s battle at CCT

The Supreme Court on Thursday fixed July 6 as date to rule on Senate President Bukola Saraki’s appeal and the Federal Government’s cross appeal against the December 12, 2017 judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, over an asset declaration matter.

A five-man panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Dattijo Muhammad fixed the date after parties in the matter adopted their written briefs of argument in relation to the appeal by Saraki and the cross-appeal by the prosecution.

Saraki is challenging the appellant court judgment that ordered him to return to court to answer for three out of the 18 count false asset declaration charges he was earlier discharged and acquitted of by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

The Federal Government on the other hand is also challenging the Court of Appeal judgment that freed Saraki from 15 out of the 18 alleged asset declaration offence it entered against the Senate President.

The Federal Government had arraigned Saraki before the Danladi Umar led CCT on an 18-count amended charge bordering on corruption and false declaration of assets.

Umar in his ruling on the matter on June 14, 2017, had upheld a no case submission tendered by Saraki, after the prosecution concluded its case, and discharged and acquitted the Senate President on the grounds that the Federal Government failed to prove its case.

Not satisfied with the ruling the Federal Government dragged the matter to the Appeal Court, Abuja, which in turn ruled in its December 12, 2017 judgment that the prosecution was able to establish a prima facie case against Saraki in three of the 18 counts. The three counts are: 4, 5 and 6.

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The appellant court then ordered that Saraki be made to enter defence in respect of the three counts and for parties to return to the CCT for the continuation of trial.

While Saraki in his appeal to the apex court is asking it to set aside the three counts he is being asked to enter defence before the CCT, the prosecution, in a cross-appeal to the Supreme Court, is praying that the ruling of the Appeal Court be set aside and Saraki be made to enter defence for all 18 charges he was discharged and acquitted of.

 

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