Saraki asset trial: I took photographs of Saraki’s Lagos houses in February, say witness

The Head of Intelligence Unit of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Mr. Samuel Madojemu, on Tuesday told the tribunal that he took photograph of Saraki’s Lagos property with his ipad in February this year when investigations on the matter have been concluded.

Madojemu said that he visited Lagos along with other security operatives to investigate assets of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki after he (Madojemu) gave evidence that he has completed investigation.
The witness, who was being cross examined by counsel to Saraki, Mr. Paul Erokoro (SAN), also said that the Bureau sourced for evidence against Saraki after he (Saraki) had already been arraigned at the tribunal on false asset declaration charges.

According to him, “I visited Lagos for the purpose of investigating Saraki’s assets and took photograph of the Lagos property of Saraki with my ipad in February but cannot however, recall the exact date.”

The witness further told the tribunal that he was not alone in the Lagos trip and that the photographs of the assets are with the CCB.

Asked if CCB ever invited Saraki to enter a statement, the witness said the asset declaration forms sworn to under oath by Saraki served as a statement.

“When Saraki made the asset declaration, he was not under suspicion. At the point of receipt of forms, when the receiving officer discovers that the form was not properly filled or some corrections needed to be made, he drew the attention of the declarant to effect the corrections in the form. The errors may be typographical errors, it may be disputive errors.”

He said he cannot confirm if these errors were noticed in Saraki’s forms since he was not the receiving officer.

He also said he cannot recall in his 20 years at the Bureau if anyone was ever charged to court after not being invited as done in Saraki’s case.

“I have handled many cases and there are instances where you invite the subject and they refuse to honour our invitation. Elder Godsday Orubebe was invited severally but refused to honour the invitation and was thereafter charged to the tribunal and convicted,” he said.

Asked if it was justifiable that in the case of Saraki who was not invited even for once when others like Orubebe who was invited severally, the witness said it is the prerogative of the Bureau to invite or not to invite.

“The decision on whether to invite and not to invite a declarant is beyond my competence. It is left for the management of the Bureau, so I cannot give answer on that”, Madojemu said.

Meanwhile, the trial continues Wednesday.