Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Friday, November 20, reportedly received triple attack from government officials following his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
The Nation reports that the Inspector General of Police Solomon Arase, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami have warned the Senate President not to politicise his trial at the CCT.
The trio criticised the Senate President claim that his trial was politically motivated and advised him to channel his strength towards defending the charge leveled against him instead of alleging political witch-hunting.
In a counter affidavit the AGF, EFCC, IGP filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja in response to a new suit by the country’s number three man, they denied being instigated by any political consideration to initiate the 13-count false asset declaration charge against Saraki at the CCT.
They and the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Diri and Muslim Hassan (Deputy Director in the Federal Ministry of Justice) hinted that the Senate president trial was propelled by the outcome of a joint investigation carried out by the EFCC, Department of State Services (DSS), the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) between 2003 and 2015.
According to them, the investigation showed that the Senate number one man lied on the information he gave in the CCB forms he filled between 2003 and 2011 in Ikoyi and Ikeja, Lagos state, as he used third party companies which he had interest with the intention of hiding his interests in such property.
They listed the companies as: Tiny Tee Limited, Vitti Oil Limited, Skyview Properties Limited and Carlisle properties. The AGF, EFCC, IGP, Diri and Hassan further stated that Saraki also lied in his claim that an official of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Bulus Micheal, disclosed to him that his trial was politically motivated. They said there is no official of the ministry that answers such name.
“The charges preferred against him before the CCT were based on the conviction that a prima facie case was disclosed after investigation and not on any political consideration. The 1st, 2nd, 4th, 10th and 11th respondents (AGF, EFCC, IGP, Diri and Hassan) are not politicians and they have no interest in who becomes the Senate President.
“The 1st, 2nd, 4th, 10th and 11th respondents do not take instructions from any politician, but are public officers and public offices, who are only interested in the performance of their statutory and constitutional duties.
“No one has made or is making any effort to trump up allegations against the applicant, but the charges that were preferred against him were preferred upon being satisfied that a prima facie case was disclosed against him,” they said.
The AGF, EFCC, IGP denied the Senate boss claim that his rights were being violated with his trial at the CCT, pointing out that the charges were validly preferred against him.
Recall that on October 30, the Court of Appeal in its judgment upheld the CCT’s position that it has the jurisdiction to try the Senate president following the charges leveled against him. In its notice of objection, the trio challenged the court’s jurisdiction to hear the Senate president’s new suit, saying the reliefs he was requesting in the fresh suit are already in a similar suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/775/2015, which he earlier filed before the court, and was recently assigned to Justice Evoh Chukwu of Court 8 for hearing.
It was reported that the Senate president in the fresh suit is asking the court to stop all the respondents, comprising the CCT, CCB from continuing his trial on the ground that they are violating his rights.
Meanwhile, Sahara Reporters reported that the Supreme Court judge, Justice John Fabiyi who headed four other judges in ordering the stoppage of Saraki’s trial is expected to retire in two weeks time.
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