Saraki speaks on trial of CCT chairman, tackles EFCC

Bukola Saraki, the Nigerian Senate President, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of making a mockery of the fight against corruption, in his ongoing trial on alleged false asset declaration.

In a series of tweets on Tuesday, Saraki also said he “sympathised” with the Code of Conduct Tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar, whom he described as a victim of the commission’s dramatic twist of events.

Umar has been charged with corruption months after the EFCC cleared him of an allegation of bribery.

Saraki, who was first accused of alleged false asset declaration in 2015, was initially cleared of all allegations by the Code of Conduct Tribunal in June 2017.

However, the Court of Appeal in December 2017 ordered Mr. Saraki to return to the tribunal and face three of the initial 18-count charge brought against him.

“I sympathise with the Chairman of the Tribunal, Danladi Umar, for his travail in the hands of the EFCC which suddenly woke up 4 days to the resumption of this case to file criminal charges against him,” Saraki wrote.

“You will recall that in April 2016, when our lawyers asked the Tribunal Chairman to recuse himself from our case, because of the criminal investigation against him, the EFCC swiftly cleared Mr. Umar of any wrongdoing.

“Now, I find it amusing, that in a dramatic turnaround, this same EFCC now thinks that Umar has a case to answer just before the commencement of my case before him. What has changed since April 2016?

“As much as many Nigerians want to continue to believe that this my case is merely about asset declaration irregularities, the maneuvers, manipulation, intrigues, schemes, and “House of Cards” nature of this whole case proves otherwise.

“I really wonder whether those who genuinely love this government appreciate the damage that all this is doing to our so-called ‘War Against Corruption. However, in all of this, my confidence in the judiciary and its ability to do justice in all cases, remains unshaven,” Mr. Saraki said in his tweet on Tuesday.