No Evidence: Code of Conduct Tribunal Quashes FG’s Case against Saraki

The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) sitting in Abuja has quashed the 18-count charge of non-declaration of assets preferred against the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki by the Federal Government.

The tribunal headed by Justice Danladi Umar, on Wednesday upheld the no case submission filed by Saraki stating that the Federal Government failed to prove essential elements of all the allegations it levelled against the Senate President.

The tribunal held that both oral and documentary evidence that were laid by four witnesses FG brought before it were “so discredited during cross-examination”, saying it was so”manifestly unreliable that no court or tribunal can rely on it to make a conviction”.

“In the light of the foregoing, the tribunal has no other option that to discharge the defendant.

“The Honourable tribunal upholds the no-case submission and the defendant is accordingly discharged and acquitted”, Justice Umar held.

The CCB had on September 16, 2015 filed a 13-count charge against Saraki for alleged false and anticipatory declaration of assets, operated foreign accounts while in office as Kwara State governor between 2003 and 2011, as well as collected governorship salary four years after his tenure had elapsed.

The charges were increased to 15 on April 18, 2016 and another charge was added on April 27, 2016 to make it 16.

The government later increased the charges to 17 on January 11, 2017 and finally to 18 on February 23, 2017.

Saraki entered a no-case submission before the CCT on May 26, 2017.

He argued that none of the exhibits tendered and no evidence given by the four prosecution witnesses linked him to the alleged offences to warrant him to defend the charges.