Saraki: FG to call 4 more witnesses Jan 17
The trial of the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, over false assets declaration resumed yesterday at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), with the prosecution promising to call four more witnesses at the next adjourned date.
Lead prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) had applied for one week adjournment on the ground that his other witnesses, who were supposed to come from Lagos were not around to testify yesterday.
Consequently, chairman, CCT, Danladi Umar, adjourned the matter till January 17 for continuation of trial and for the prosecution to introduce the second witness.
Lead prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) had applied for one week adjournment on the ground that his other witnesses, who were supposed to come from Lagos were not around to testify yesterday.
Consequently, chairman, CCT, Danladi Umar, adjourned the matter till January 17 for continuation of trial and for the prosecution to introduce the second witness.
Recall that since the trial commenced early last year, the prosecution has succeeded in introducing only the prosecution witness 1 (PW 1), Mr. Michael Wetkas, as the defence took a long time to cross-examine the witness.
However, pressure from the prosecution forced the defence team to close its cross-examination shortly before the tribunal proceeded on Christmas holidays in December.
At the resumed hearing yesterday, Wetkas told the tribunal that the Lagos State Land Registry did not have the record of existence of properties at 15a and 15b, MacDonald Street, Ikoyi, allegedly belonging to the Senate President.
However, pressure from the prosecution forced the defence team to close its cross-examination shortly before the tribunal proceeded on Christmas holidays in December.
At the resumed hearing yesterday, Wetkas told the tribunal that the Lagos State Land Registry did not have the record of existence of properties at 15a and 15b, MacDonald Street, Ikoyi, allegedly belonging to the Senate President.
Wetkas added that the investigating team he led was told in writing by the Lagos Land Registry that the existence of the said properties was not in their record. The witness, who was re-examined by the lead prosecution counsel, Jacobs, based on his earlier evidence-in-chief admitted that EFCC based its assumption that Saraki owned the properties on the claim of a presidential committee on sales of the federal government owned properties.
Wetkas said that his investigating team was informed by the presidential committee that Saraki bought the properties through a company, Carlse Investment Property, when he was the executive governor of Kwara State.
Jacobs had re-cross examined the witness based on ambiguity and confusion on the identities of the properties linked to Saraki but the witness maintained that he did not go to the federal land registry to clarify issues on the disputed property ownership.
Evidence of Wetkas on May 11, 17 and 18 last year, had raised confusion over which of the properties actually belonged to the defendant. He said: “We based our assumption that the defendant (Saraki) owns the property at No. 15 MacDonald, Ikoyi, on the response of the presidential committee on the sales of the federal government properties to the effect that the property was alienated to one company, Carlse Investment Property.”
The witness also maintained that he never interrogated or obtained statements from Saraki on any issue of asset declaration or ownership. He further stated that the claim of Saraki that he bought some properties from proceeds of his business transactions could not be disputed by him because he never investigated the business operation scheme of the Senate President.
The prosecution also sought to clarify whether the $3.4 million alleged to have been transferred by Saraki included service charge. To this, the witness later owned up that it excluded service charge.
Saraki had walked into the courtroom in the company of several Senators, majority of whom were from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), clad in white attire.
Lead prosecution counsel had applied for one week adjournment on the ground that his other witnesses from Lagos were not around to testify yesterday.
Earlier, leader of the defence team and former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Kanu Agabi, SAN, had pleaded with the tribunal to be just and fair in the trial of the charges brought against his client by the federal government.
Jacobs had re-cross examined the witness based on ambiguity and confusion on the identities of the properties linked to Saraki but the witness maintained that he did not go to the federal land registry to clarify issues on the disputed property ownership.
Evidence of Wetkas on May 11, 17 and 18 last year, had raised confusion over which of the properties actually belonged to the defendant. He said: “We based our assumption that the defendant (Saraki) owns the property at No. 15 MacDonald, Ikoyi, on the response of the presidential committee on the sales of the federal government properties to the effect that the property was alienated to one company, Carlse Investment Property.”
The witness also maintained that he never interrogated or obtained statements from Saraki on any issue of asset declaration or ownership. He further stated that the claim of Saraki that he bought some properties from proceeds of his business transactions could not be disputed by him because he never investigated the business operation scheme of the Senate President.
The prosecution also sought to clarify whether the $3.4 million alleged to have been transferred by Saraki included service charge. To this, the witness later owned up that it excluded service charge.
Saraki had walked into the courtroom in the company of several Senators, majority of whom were from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), clad in white attire.
Lead prosecution counsel had applied for one week adjournment on the ground that his other witnesses from Lagos were not around to testify yesterday.
Earlier, leader of the defence team and former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Kanu Agabi, SAN, had pleaded with the tribunal to be just and fair in the trial of the charges brought against his client by the federal government.
He said that Saraki and the legal team were not happy to be coming to the tribunal and have been looking forward to a day the charge will be terminated in peace to the defendant and to the nation.
“I pray your Lordships to stand up for Justice and free us from this case to stop coming here. That is our prayer,” Agabi told the tribunal.
“I pray your Lordships to stand up for Justice and free us from this case to stop coming here. That is our prayer,” Agabi told the tribunal.
