Reports on Saraki’s assets probe not with us – CCB

Th e Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has revealed that it has no formal report of investigation carried out on the assets of the Senate President Bukola Saraki because the directive to probe his assets in 2015 shortly after he emerged as Senate’s Chief Executive was made oral by the authorities. Th e bureau also said Saraki’s case was the only one ever carried out without written report because the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was responsible for the probe of the defendant who is being prosecuted by the federal government on false assets declaration. Head of Intelligence and Investigation Unit of the CCB, Mr. Samuel Madojemu gave the revelation at the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja while being cross examined by Saraki’s lawyer, Mr. Paul Erokoro SAN. For the fi rst time since 2015 when charges of false assets declaration were slammed on Saraki, the bureau formally admitted that he (Saraki) actually declared his assets as required by law. Th e Bureau also said Saraki also declared the assets of his wife, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, both in Nigeria and abroad, and those of his children whose names were not read out. At the resumed trial of Saraki on alleged false declaration of assets, Madojemu admitted that the assets of Saraki were recorded in the Assets Forms he submitted to CCB at various times. Under cross examination, Madojemu who is the head of Intelligence and investigation unit at the CCB, read out the list of assets declared by Saraki and those of his wife and children when he held offi ce as Kwara State Governor and upon his assumption of offi ce as a senator.

Th e witness told the CCT led by Danladi Umar, that the investigation which led to the arraignment of Saraki in 2015 before the tribunal was actually carried out by the operatives of the EFCC . Th e witness informed the tribunal that he was invited orally into a team that reviewed the EFCC report and compared the asset forms of Saraki, and that the CCB has no written report on the outcome of the revision of the EFCC report.

He however said that the CCB cannot be blamed for not inviting Saraki because it saw the need to limit its investigation to the asset forms endorsed by Saraki on oath. Madojemu also told the tribunal that there was no provision in the CCB Asset Declaration Form for any declarant to declare properties owned by the declarant’s companies and that also there was no provision for cash lodgment in the asset forms. At the end of the cross examination, the prosecution counsel applied for an adjournment to enable him re-examine the witness.

Th e counsel told the tribunal that he needed the adjournment because the witness was cross-examined for four days by the defense. Th e tribunal has however, adjourned trial till April 5 for re-examination of the witness by the prosecution.

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