BREAKING: CCT rejects Saraki's request for adjournment
Tue Apr 05, 2016 03:47:pm National
3.8K By sosa hills
After several botched attempts by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to stop his trial over alleged false assets declaration at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in Abuja, the Federal Government on Tuesday opened its case against Saraki.
At the resumption of hearing on Tuesday in the matter, Saraki through his lawyer, Paul Usoro (SAN) approached the tribunal with a fresh application for adjournment after the tribunal on March 24 gave its decision that it had jurisdiction to hear the suit.
Saraki told the tribunal that his request for an adjournment was based on his pending appeal before the Court of Appeal in Abuja, where the embattled Senate President for the second time is challenging the jurisdiction of the tribunal to seat over the matter.
In his response, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), urged the tribunal to dismiss Saraki's request to stall the trial.
Jacobs predicated his argument for the application to be thrown out on the provision of section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, which prohibits unnecessary adjournments.
"Nothing can be built on an illegal process. You can't build something on nothing. They will both crumble," Jacobs said.
Jacobs said both motions asking for stay of proceedings filed before the tribunal and the CCT itself constituted an abuse of court process.
He said under section 396 of the ACJ Act which provides a party in a criminal case was only entitled to adjournment not more than six times.
According to him, since the commencement of the case in September last year, the matter had been adjourned more than five times at Saraki's instance.
"This has become too much. My lord should refuse this application for adjournment," Jacobs said.
Consequently, the tribunal Chairman, Justice Danladi Umar ruled and upheld the prosecution's position.
Justice Umar ordered the prosecution to call its first witness.
As a result, the first prosecution witness, Mr. Michael Wetkas who is a Principal Detective Superintendent with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), entered the witness box.
While giving details of three separate accounts that were being operated by Saraki while he was Kwara State governor between 2003 and 2011, Wetkas revealed that a Personal Assistant on Domestic Affairs to Saraki while he was governor made 50 transactions of N600 million into a Guarantee Trust Bank account that was allegedly operated by the embattled Senate President in a day.
With Mr. Saraki at the CCT today are about 30 Senators, only one-third of the dense crowd that has usually accompanied him from the Upper House. Also noticeably absent is his leading counsel, Kanu Agabi.
The witness is still being led in evidence by Jacobs.
At the resumption of hearing on Tuesday in the matter, Saraki through his lawyer, Paul Usoro (SAN) approached the tribunal with a fresh application for adjournment after the tribunal on March 24 gave its decision that it had jurisdiction to hear the suit.
Saraki told the tribunal that his request for an adjournment was based on his pending appeal before the Court of Appeal in Abuja, where the embattled Senate President for the second time is challenging the jurisdiction of the tribunal to seat over the matter.
In his response, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), urged the tribunal to dismiss Saraki's request to stall the trial.
Jacobs predicated his argument for the application to be thrown out on the provision of section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, which prohibits unnecessary adjournments.
"Nothing can be built on an illegal process. You can't build something on nothing. They will both crumble," Jacobs said.
Jacobs said both motions asking for stay of proceedings filed before the tribunal and the CCT itself constituted an abuse of court process.
He said under section 396 of the ACJ Act which provides a party in a criminal case was only entitled to adjournment not more than six times.
According to him, since the commencement of the case in September last year, the matter had been adjourned more than five times at Saraki's instance.
"This has become too much. My lord should refuse this application for adjournment," Jacobs said.
Consequently, the tribunal Chairman, Justice Danladi Umar ruled and upheld the prosecution's position.
Justice Umar ordered the prosecution to call its first witness.
As a result, the first prosecution witness, Mr. Michael Wetkas who is a Principal Detective Superintendent with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), entered the witness box.
While giving details of three separate accounts that were being operated by Saraki while he was Kwara State governor between 2003 and 2011, Wetkas revealed that a Personal Assistant on Domestic Affairs to Saraki while he was governor made 50 transactions of N600 million into a Guarantee Trust Bank account that was allegedly operated by the embattled Senate President in a day.
With Mr. Saraki at the CCT today are about 30 Senators, only one-third of the dense crowd that has usually accompanied him from the Upper House. Also noticeably absent is his leading counsel, Kanu Agabi.
The witness is still being led in evidence by Jacobs.
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