Friday, 29th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Saraki appears before CCT, pleads not guilty to graft charges

By AFP
22 September 2015   |   2:18 pm
The Senate President Bukola Saraki on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to corruption charges at the country's Code of Conduct tribunal, a day after an appeal court rejected his request to stop the trial. Saraki, who leads the upper chamber of parliament and is the third-highest politician in Nigeria after the president and vice-president, has been…
Saraki in the witness box at the Code of Conduct Tribunal today

Saraki in the witness box at the Code of Conduct Tribunal today

The Senate President Bukola Saraki on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to corruption charges at the country’s Code of Conduct tribunal, a day after an appeal court rejected his request to stop the trial.

Saraki, who leads the upper chamber of parliament and is the third-highest politician in Nigeria after the president and vice-president, has been accused of making a false declaration of assets.

“I want to say that I am not guilty,” Saraki said of the 13 counts of corruption levelled against him when he was governor of central Kwara state between 2003 and 2011.

Saraki’s lawyer said his client was being told of the charges for the first time and requested enough time to defend himself.

Tribunal judge Danladi Umar adjourned the trial to October 21, saying he would grant the accused bail.

The tribunal also quashed an earlier warrant for Saraki to be arrested for refusing to appear before it on two occasions — last Friday and Monday.

The case is seen as a litmus test for the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) of President Muhammadu Buhari, who came to power in May on an anti-graft ticket.

Buhari and his deputy Yemi Osinbajo this month publicly declared their assets and other public figures, including lawmakers, are expected to follow suit.

5 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    I am disappointed that Guardian the famed Flagship of Nigerian Newspapers has been recruited into the Lagos/Ibadan Media mafia specializing on mudslinging and manipulation of the masses through misinformation. Will the Guardian reporter who covered this story in all sincerity say that the witness box of the CCT had that inscription ACCUSED BOX on it. Or it is a computer software generated effect to humiliate Saraki and massage the ego of his traducers. The question is what next? I am not a fan of Saraki but I think impunity is assuming a new dimension and it spells danger for us.

    • Author’s gravatar

      I understand the emotion & sentiment. Actually Guardian did not make it up…check other photos on the internet and you’d see same. Never forget that it is the handiwork of Saraki that led search to the dock and he is indeed accused in a criminal case. This case would humanize Saraki and if he learns his lessons now – that actions have consequences, it may end up helping him in the long run…think eternity and you’d understand what I mean…for he has to give account eventually before God anyway, right? God loves him and what him to change for the better – now it is in his court to embrace the medicine.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Hmmmmmm!!! My beloved country, at last the wind change blows slowly, but, steadily, I never knew that my generation will witness this day, when people will be held accountable for their crimes of corruption against this beautifully blessed country I call home. ALLAHU AKBAR!!!!!!!

  • Author’s gravatar

    We the people should hold a referendum on doing away with the senate and retain only the house of rep – other countries have done such – Senegal, Ireland.

    As to Saraki’s criminal proceedings – Some things we learnt from the days proceedings are:

    1 – That Saraki is a rice farmer/merchant, and a very wealthy one at that to the point where he made a profit of about half-a-billion naira in 2003 that he bought a landed property with in 2006.

    2 – That Saraki is clairvoyant. To the PDP apologist, a witch. Hence the witch hunting. Why because he declared a property in 2003 that he was sure he bought already, even as the actual purchase was in 2006 from the federal government (N100m less than how much he declared in 2003) using his proceeds from rice farming.

    3 – That Saraki’s witchcraft – taking liberty with PDP charge and his charge of witch hunting – has no time for declaring other properties he clearly owns in Ikoyi and Abuja.

    4 – That the endless and fruitless pursuit of white collar criminals due to using interlocutory injunction to frustrate the main charges was sunset by former president Jonathan – as a parting gift to his PDPlutocratic traducers, in March 2015 -..from above “”On jurisdiction, the prosecution counsel argued that according to section 2 of the Administration of Justice Act, 2015, the matter could be heard alongside any preliminary objection regarding the tribunal’s jurisdiction.
    The new law was signed by former President Goodluck Jonathan in March 2015, as part of a major reform of Nigeria’s criminal justice system.”

    In conclusion, since we are not running a country of witches and wizards, we normal people based on our law would definitely seek to convert him to one of us. We support CCB in saving Saraki from the world of witches for his own sake, that of his family and all of us – for he is such a jolly good fellow! …and other witches, currently living in alternative paradise would be hunted and converted to live with us as well.

  • Author’s gravatar

    As to Saraki’s criminal proceedings – Some things we learnt from the days proceedings are:

    1 – That Saraki is a rice farmer/merchant, and a very wealthy one at that to the point where he made a profit of about half-a-billion naira in 2003 that he bought a landed property with in 2006.

    2 – That Saraki is clairvoyant. To the PDP apologist, a witch. Hence the term witch hunting i svery appropriate. Why because he declared a property in 2003 that he was sure he bought already, even as the actual purchase was in 2006 from the federal government (N100m less than how much he declared in 2003) using his proceeds from rice farming.

    3 – That Saraki’s witchcraft – taking liberty with PDP charge and his charge of witch hunting – has no time for declaring other properties he clearly owns in Ikoyi and Abuja.

    4 – That the endless and fruitless pursuit of white collar criminals due to using interlocutory injunction to frustrate the main charges was sunset by former president Jonathan – as a parting gift to his PDPlutocratic traducers, in March 2015 -..as reported in premium times “”On jurisdiction, the prosecution counsel argued that according to section 2 of the Administration of Justice Act, 2015, the matter could be heard alongside any preliminary objection regarding the tribunal’s jurisdiction.
    The new law was signed by former President Goodluck Jonathan in March 2015, as part of a major reform of Nigeria’s criminal justice system.”

    In conclusion, since we are not running a country of witches and wizards, we normal people based on our law would definitely seek to convert him to one of us. We support CCB in saving Saraki from the world of witches for his own sake, that of his family and all of us – for he is such a jolly good fellow! …and other witches, currently living in alternative paradise would be hunted and converted to live with us as well.