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- Trial will now hold every day, tribunal will not wait for anybody – CCT Chairman
- Trial will not affect Senate sitting, says Prosecution counsel
- Saraki bought three landed property, instead of one, from presidential committee – Witness
- Witness admits not investigating Kwara State Pension Scheme, knowing Saraki’s entitlements
The ongoing trial of Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, by the Code
of Conduct Tribunal for false asset declaration on Monday became
intense as the chairman of the tribunal Danladi Yakubu Umar ruled that
the trial will now hold every day.
Umar made the statement while scolding Gabriel Esegine, counsel to
the federal government, who held brief for Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), the lead
prosecution counsel in the trial.
Esegine had asked the tribunal to stand down the matter for an hour
so that Jacobs, who was at the appeal court, could continue it when he
returns.
But Umar was displeased, and he wondered why Jacobs would be absent from such a sensitive case.
“This tribunal will not wait for anybody,” he said.
“According to the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015,
trials are to commence from day to day. And that’s what will happen now
from 10am to 6pm.”
However, Umar stood down the matter to 12pm.
Later,
Prosecution counsel Rotimi Jacob (SAN) told the tribunal that it was a
shame for senate to suspend sitting because Saraki was attending to his
trial.
Rotimi, who was responding to a plea by Saraki’s lawyer, Mr Kanu
Agabi (SAN) to the Tribunal to space the trial date instead of daily
sitting, said that Senate was not on trial but Saraki.
He urged members of the Senate majority of whom had always
accompanied Saraki to the tribunal to refrain from that shameful act and
attend to their national duty by sitting without Saraki.
Meanwhile a detective with the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC), Michael Wetkas on Monday told the Code of Conduct
Tribunal (CCT) that Senate President Bukola Saraki violated the Code of
conduct when he failed to declare some of his landed property.
The detective who testified as a prosecution witness over false
assets declaration told that Saraki failed to declare his property
located at No 1 and No 3, Targus Street, Maitama, Abuja in the assets
declaration he made in 2007 and 2011, even though he has acquired those
property before he became governor of Kwara State.
The witness also told the Tribunal that although the assets
declaration form provides a column for factories, ranches, farms and
enterprises, Saraki wrote in the column that, “I do not have”, while
investigation revealed that he has several companies.
According to Wetkas, the Senate President has substantial and
controlling shares in Skyview Property Limited, Carlie Property and
Investment Limited, Babs Trading and Manufacturing Limited, Delta Foods
Limited, Lintas Limited, Orion-Agro Limited, PPI Limited, Bastone
Limited, Quality Packaging Limited among others.
He told the Tribunal also that property on No. 15 A and B. Mcdonald,
Ikoyi Lagos that were declared by Senate Saraki in his his assets
declaration form were bought in the name of Cerlie Property and
Investment Limited from the Presidential Implementation Committee on the
Sales of Federal Government Property.
The Tribunal admitted17 more exhibits as proof that Saraki owned the property in question.
Among the document tendred through the witness by the prosecution
counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) include GTB Plc bank draft of the sum
N256.3 million, N12.8 million and another N24 million as part payment
for property on No. 17 Mcdonald Street, Ikoyi, Lagos by the defendant.
“There is another draft of N180.6 million dated April 3, 2007. We
have another draft for N36.1 million dated January 10, 2007, both as
part payment of the No 17 Mcdonald Street, Ikoyi Lagos”, Wetkas told the
Tribunal.
He said even though the policy of the Presidential Committee does
allow anybody to buy more than one property, the Senate President bought
three of the property from the committee, saying that the property No
17 and 17A Mcdonald Street, Ikoyi were acquired in Saraki’s personal
name, while the Property No 15, Mcdonald Street was bought under the
name of Carlie Property and Investment Limited.
He said investigation revealed a list of property Saraki owned, one
of which include Rustos Garden with nine property that yields a total
income of N126 million per annum, which he also failed to declare.
Under cross examination by Saraki’s lead counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN),
the witness, Wetkas told the Tribunal that it was the prosecutor who
told him to file a summary report of his findings and activities during
investigation.
According to him, the charge against the Senate President was filed
on September 14, 2015 while the witness report, which form part of proof
of evidence was filed on October 30, 2015.
The witness also told the Tribunal that he did not investigate the
pension scheme of Kwara state, neither did he know the entitlement of
the defendant.
The witnesses had, last week told the Tribunal Saraki was receiving
monthly salaries from the Kwara state government for four after the
expiration of his tenure as governor of Kwara state.
The Senate President was arraigned by the anti-graft agency on a
13-count charge bordering on allegations of false asset declaration and
money laundering. He had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charges
slammed against him by the federal government.
The matter continues today.
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