Saraki ready to file no-case-submission as prosecution closes case at tribunal

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, yesterday told the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) of his intention to file an application for a no-case-submission in the charges preferred against him by the Federal Government bordering on false declaration of assets.

This was as the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) announced the closure of case against Saraki.

Saraki has been facing trial at the CCT since 2015 where the prosecution called four witnesses and tendered several documents to establish a case of false declaration of assets against the defendant.

The Senate President, through his counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN), informed the tribunal that he would require a complete record of proceedings since 2015 when the trial started, to enable him make his no-case-submission.

But the prosecution counsel, Jacobs opposed the request for court proceedings before making a no-case-submission, stressing that such move should be evidence-based and not on court proceedings. He also contended against the two-week interval from the date of receipt of court records, requested by the defence counsel within which to file the application for the no-case-submission.

Chairman of the tribunal, Mr. Danladi Umar, after consultation with parties in the suit, fixed June 8 for the tribunal to adopt the written submissions expected to be filed by the defendant and served on the prosecution.

At the resumed trial yesterday, a prosecution witness, one Bayo Dauda, a staff of one of the commercial banks, stated during his evidence in-chief that as an account officer of the bank, he knew the defendant as a customer between 2003 and 2007.