CCT trial: Saraki raises alarm over blackmail efforts
The Media Office of Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki has alerted members of the public of the renewed attempts being made by forces behind his on-going trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal to muddle up the case and blackmail key individuals and groups involved directly and indirectly in the case.
In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media, Yusuph Olaniyonu, the Office stated that the forces have since the weekend preceding the resumption of the case on Friday been sponsoring various spurious allegations aimed at intimidating members of the Tribunal, lawyers, journalists, legislators, Saraki's loyalists and aides.
"Using the same scare-mongering methods that these devious forces have employed since the commencement of the case last September, they have employed an on-line medium known for its shady and unethical reputation, and another national newspaper to peddle inaccurate information aimed at prejudicing the coming case and forcing the actors in the case to take certain predetermined decisions.
"In their desperation, they have been heckling key aides and associates of the Senate President using some unidentified individuals who make phoney calls to the phone numbers of the individuals close to Dr Saraki, trailing the movement of these associates and giving different interpretations to the actions of these associates, all in a bid to poison the minds of the public against Saraki and to muddy the waters before the case commences on March 11.
"In one of these desperate attempts, they have tried to set the tribunal members, prosecution and defence lawyers in the case against one another. Yet again, they have sought to intimidate journalists who they envisaged may be assigned to cover the case while also seeking to cause disaffection among loyalists of the Senate President.
"The people behind these machinations believe they have to intensify these external, dirty campaigns against Saraki as they see that more and more Nigerians now understand that the trial is about who occupies the office of Senate President and not about any campaign against corruption.