Drags Ngwuta, Ademola to CCT
By Vivian Okejeme
Abuja
The federal government has amended its charges slammed against the Senate President Bukola Saraki, before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Jabi, Abuja. The fresh charges were amended from 16 to 18.
When the matter came up yesterday, counsel to Saraki, Kanu Agabi, SAN, informed the Chairman of the tribunal, Danladi Umar, that the defendant had just received fresh charges, and asked to enter plea for the charges.
Earlier, a third prosecution witness, Samuel Madujemu, told the tribunal that Saraki made false assets declaration while in office as Governor of Kwara state between 2003 and 2011.
Madujemu, Head of Investigation Division, under the department of Intelligence and Monitoring, Code of Conduct Bureau, narrated how the EFCC started investigation on the matter.
“My Lord, the EFCC conducted an investigation on a particular case against the defendant (Saraki) and thereafter, the report was referred to the Federal Ministry of Justice.
“The Justice Ministry discovered that the issues or infractions raised therein had to do with assets declaration, and thereafter referred the case to the Code of Conduct Bureau.
“This was done by way of briefing of Chairman of the CCB by the Solicitor General of the Federation and Director Public Prosecution. Having done that, the Chairman of CCB directed me and two other officers of the Bureau, Samuel Yahaya and Peter Danladi, to join the EFCC investigation team that conducted the previous investigation.
“When we joined the team, a review of the investigation was done by the CCB, EFCC and other members of the team. The team requested I should make available to them the certified true copies of the assets declaration certificates.
“In the course of reviewing the certificates, the team discovered that there was a previous report by a Presidential Investigation Team set up by in 2006, consisting of the CCB, EFCC and DSS.
“It was that report which covered the beginning of tenure of the defendant as Governor of Kwara state in 2003. That report, though scanty, triggered Saraki’s first investigation by the EFCC. Having done the review, we found out that there was need for other investigation.”
Asked by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacob, SAN, on what he did further after joining the EFCC team, the witness said, “I made a review of the EFCC report, there we discovered that there were some discrepancies in the assets declaration and thereafter we commenced further investigation.
“One of the discrepancies discovered has to do with false assets declaration and none declaration of some assets and liabilities.”
The matter has, however, been adjourned till February 23.
…Ngwuta, Ademola too
In a related development, the Federal Government also filed two separate charges against Justice Sylvester Nwali Ngwuta of the Supreme Court and his Federal High Court counterpart, Justice Adeniyi Francis Adetokunbo Ademola, at the CCT for contravening the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) Act.
Special Adviser to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, on Media and Publicity, Comrade Salihu Othman Isah, revealed this in a statement issued yesterday , requesting the CCT to commence trial of the two judges.
Isah disclosed that Principal State Counsel at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Hajara Yusuf, filed the charges on behalf of the AGF, pursuant to Section 24 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.
On Justice Ngwuta, the application averred that he engaged in private business as a public officer, contrary to Section 6(b) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.
He is also alleged to have refused to declare his assets as a public officer contrary to Section 15 of the Code of Conduct Bureau Act, Cap C15 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and Punishable under Section 23(2) of the same Act. Justice Ngwuta is expected to face a ten-count charge.
In one of the charges, the application said, “between 2nd June 2011 and 19th July 2016 while serving as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Tribunal, did make a false declaration of assets” to the CCB when he failed to declare three duplexes at Chinedu Ogah Avenue, Ntezi, Aba in Abakaliki, while being a Justice of the Supreme Court.”
He is also alleged to have failed to declare twenty-two plots of land at Chief Igwe Uga Avenue, Abakaliki, while the third count states that he failed to declare six plots of land at Frank Okoroafor Avenue, Abakaliki.
On his part, Justice Adetokunbo Ademola has a two count- allegation filed against him and for which an affidavit was also deposed to by Madojemu.
According to the first count, Justice Ademola failed to declare his assets to the CCB, thereby breaching Section 15 of the CCB and Tribunal Act, Cap C15 and punishable under Section 23(2) of the same Act, while his other count is that he engages and participate in private business contrary to Section 6 of the CCB and Tribunal Act and punishable under Section 23(2) of same Act.
He is particularly accused of engaging in the purchase and sale of foreign exchange currencies, while being a Judge of the Federal High Court and thereby committing an offence contrary to section 6 of the CCB and Tribunal Act.
