False assets declaration: Saraki closes his defence after calling a witness

The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday closed his defence over false assets declaration charge at the resume trial before Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja after calling a witness.

Saraki, who is facing an amended three-count charge, consulted one of his lead lawyers from the dock and asked him to close his defence.

One of the lead lawyers to Saraki, Mr. Kanu Agabi (SAN), who had asked for an adjournment for three other witnesses to testify abruptly told the tribunal that his client has closed his case and should be given a short adjournment to address the tribunal.

The prosecuting lawyer, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), who cross-examined the lone defence witness, Mr. Ademola Adebo, was surprised about the development.

In his testimony yesterday, Adebo, a former member of Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), told the tribunal that there was ambiguity in the assets declaration form CCB 1.

Led in evidence by one of the defence lawyers, Mr Paul Usoro (SAN), the witness
said that upon the discovery of ambiguity, following complaints by some declarants, the Bureau set up a review committee which he headed.

The witness said, “Based on this, Bureau constituted a committee to review the Form and make it clearer and digitalise with design an asset declaration portal . The form has been reviewed and portal created but yet to take off. ”

Adebo also told the tribunal that he supervised and signed more than 300,000 asset declaration forms between 2010 and 2017 when he was a commissioner with the Code of Conduct Bureau.

He, however, clarified that Saraki’s CCB form 1 which is the object of dispute was not signed by him.
Adebo, who also served as a member of Conference verification committee of the Bureau, said he did not handled Saraki’s form.

Reading from the three further amended count charge, the witness said that Saraki acquired No 17(a) Mac Donald Ikoyi property from sale of rice and sugar commodities, while No 17 (b) Mac Donald was acquired through bank loan.

He said that on assumption of office as a governor, Saraki declared his asset on July 11, 2017. Saraki also declared his asset at the end of tenure on June 2011 and as Senator-elect he declared his asset on June 6, 2011.

That he specifically stated that the property were acquired on September 6, 2006.
Under cross examination by Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), Adebo said the post of commissioner was not mentioned in CCB act.
He repeated that Saraki acquired the property through sales of sugar and rice commodity.

He said the Bureau has 10 departments and that he was privy to what transpired on Saraki matter.

He said he did not have the number of public officers charged before the tribunal during his tenure. According to the witness, the CCB is structurally defective

The CCT had on 13 June 2017, discharged and acquitted Saraki on the 18- count charge .

But the Court of Appeal on December 12, 2017 overruled the tribunal after it found that the prosecution had established a prima facie case on three of the counts against Saraki.