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Supreme court fixes July 6 for ruling on false assets declaration charges against Saraki

By Bridget Chiedu Onochie, Abuja
13 April 2018   |   5:16 am
The Supreme Court will on July 6, 2018 give its ruling on the false assets declaration charge brought against Senate President Bukola Saraki by the Federal Government. Justice Musa Mohammed Dattijo, who presided over the matter yesterday, fixed the date after taking arguments from both Saraki and the Federal Government. Saraki had approached the Supreme…

Nigeria’s senate president Bukola Saraki .

The Supreme Court will on July 6, 2018 give its ruling on the false assets declaration charge brought against Senate President Bukola Saraki by the Federal Government.

Justice Musa Mohammed Dattijo, who presided over the matter yesterday, fixed the date after taking arguments from both Saraki and the Federal Government.

Saraki had approached the Supreme Court, asking it to dismiss the 18-count criminal charges of false assets declaration brought against him by the Federal Government.

He told the apex court that the charges against him were frivolous, and that prima facie case was not established against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), which earlier tried him.

But counsel to the Federal Government, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), urged the court to hold that Saraki has a case to answer in the charges.

He submitted that there was no law that an investigation must be conducted before charges can be preferred against any defendant.

In another development, the Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed April 30, 2018 for ruling on an ex-parte motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking forfeiture of property belonging to former First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan.

This followed arguments between the prosecution and counsel to Mrs. Jonathan, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN).

The EFCC’s application, which was moved by Benjamin Manji, sought leave of the court for an order granting an interim attachment/forfeiture of the property.

But Ozekhome prayed the court not to entertain EFCC’s ex-parte motion.

Ozekhome further argued that EFCC’s motion was an abuse of court process because it was filed during the pendency of another action in respect of the property before a sister court presided by Justice John Tsoho.

He, therefore, urged Justice Nnamdi Dimgba to hold that “this is a proper case where you cannot shave someone’s hair in someone’s absence.”

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