Saraki Faults EFCC for Clearing CCT Chairman

Date: 2016-04-25

*Says clearance cannot override AGF's recommendation for Umar's removal, prosecution

Senate President Bukola Saraki has faulted the clearance issued to the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in relation to his alleged involvement in a N10 million bribe made by one Mr. AbdulRashid Owolabi Taiwo, in his petition to the commission.

Taiwo, who was being tried by the CCT, had alleged that Umar demanded the N10 million bribe from him. He claimed that part of the money was paid into the bank account of the personal assistant of the chairman, prompting him to write a petition against the chairman to the EFCC.

However, whilst Umar's personal assistant is standing trial for accepting the bribe from Owolabi, the EFCC exonerated the CCT chairman of wrongdoing.

But Saraki contended yesterday that there was no time the EFCC cleared Umar, and that even where such clearance exists, it was a confirmation of his (Saraki's) position that the CCT under Umar could not ensure fairness in his (Saraki's) trial.

Saraki is currently facing a 13-count charge bordering on corruption and false assets declaration at the CCT. He allegedly committed the offence when he served as governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011. However, he has denied any wrongdoing and alleged political persecution.

Saraki, who spoke in Abuja through his lawyer, Mr. Ajibola Oluyede, argued that the clearance issued to Umar by EFCC could not override the recommendation made in 2014 by the then Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice for Umar's prosecution.

Oluyede said it was only the AGF that possesses the power, under the law, to reverse a decision to prosecute, arguing that his client's application urging Umar to disqualify himself from the trial was still before the tribunal.

He faulted reports that the application had been thrown out by the tribunal, noting that since the prosecution was yet to respond to it, and it had not been heard, the tribunal could not have decided on the application.

He also faulted reports that he was thrown out of the tribunal's venue, saying that he was at the proceedings until it was adjourned. He said he would argue the application before the tribunal once it was ripe for hearing.

"We are not saying he (Umar) is guilty. We are saying he is tainted and that he cannot act independently while the EFCC that is investigating him and had indicted him is now prosecuting our client before him. That is why we asked him to recuse himself from the trial.

"He did so before in the case involving former FCT Minister, Jeremiah Useni, where he recused himself from the hearing on the grounds that he had a close relationship with Useni. We are asking him to do so again now because of the facts that we have presented,""Oluyede said.

Elaborating on other documents he filed before the tribunal, Oluyede noted that on the EFCC report of June 24, 2014, the then AGF had directed the then EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde, to prosecute Umar and his aide, Ali Gambo, for accepting bribe from an accused person, Rashid Taiwo.

EFCC said in the letter to the AGF that the evidence suggested that Umar "might have demanded and collected money from the complainant (Taiwo) through his Personal Assistant (PA). Efforts made to recover the telephone handset used by Justice Umar proved abortive as he claimed that he had lost the telephone in 2012.

"This has made it impossible to subject it to an independent scientific analysis with a view to corroborating the allegation. Justice Umar also admitted that he met privately with the complainant in his chamber at the tribunal. "This is a most unethical and highly suspicious conduct on his part," Lamorde said in the letter.

Oluyede was of the view that Umar's admission of having a private meeting with an accused person standing trial before his tribunal was a breach of Rule 5(i) and (ii) of the Code of Conduct for judicial officers for which he should be penalised.

Saraki's lawyer, who also exhibited a copy of the bail bond endorsed by Umar at the EFCC, said Taiwo had admitted bribing Umar in his testimony at the ongoing trial of Umar's PA in charge No: CR/137/15 before Justice Orji of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Oluyede said his client's application for Umar to disqualify himself from the case and their further affidavit detailing these fresh facts would be heard when the tribunal resumes on Wednesday.

Source

 


Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Igbomina     Madawaki     Eghe Igbinehin     Nigeria Customs Service     Ilorin Emirate     Aliyu Muhammed     Nigeria Foundation For Artificial Intelligence     Abdulrasheed Akogun     Centre For Community Empowerment And Poverty Eradication     IHS     Muftau Akanbi Oke     Olatunji Abdulmumeen     Musa Abdullahi     Michael Nzekwe     Ilorin Central Mosque     Gobir     Jimoh Olusola Imam     Sabi     Mustapha Olanipekun     Federal Polytechnic Offa     Asiwaju Bola Tinubu     Adama Isa     Abdulrauf Aliyu     Mashood Abdulrafiu Agboola     Yahya Mohammed     Galadima     Galadiman Ngeri     Ahmed Bolaji Nagode     Rafiu Ajakaye     Balikis Jawondo     Abdulazeez Arowona     Olatunji Ayeni     Akom Construction And Engineering Synergy Ltd     Afonja Descendants Union     National Pilot     Pilgrims Board     Hassan Saliu     Abdulrahman Abdullahi Kayode     Offa Grammer School     Tunji Ajanaku     Barakat Community Secondary School     IQRA College     Iyeru Grammar School     Offa Poly     Government House     Elewu     Akeem Lawal     Offorjama     Www.Kwarareports.com     Labaeka     TESCOM     Hijab     Ali Ahmad     Muhammad Sirajo Aliyu     Akanbi-Oke     Biliaminu Aliu     Mukhtar Shagaya     Mohammed Ibrahim     Amuda Aluko     Abdullahi Saadudeen Alikinla     Mutawali Of Ilorin     Ballah     Siddiq Adebayo Idowu Salawu     Razaq Atunwa     Abdulrazaq Aiyelabegan     Sobi     Oyelere Oyinloye     Abraysports FC     Iyiola Oyedepo     Lanre Issa Onilu     Raji AbdulRasaq     Ashiru     Taofik Abiodun Ahmed     Ayoade Akinnibosun     Khadijat Ayoola Yusuf     Sa\'ad Alanamu     Danladi    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Awili Pedro     Kolawole Akande     Funmilayo Braithwaite     Neo Mundo Ltd     Maryam Nurudeen     JSSCE     Babatunde Ajeigbe     Adesoye College     Hakeem Idris     Abatemi-Usman     Aliyu Muhammed     Ayo Opadokun     Umar Gunu     Dar-Al-Handasah Consultants     Olateju Lukman     Nagode     Donatus Ejidike     Kayode Issa     Aliyu Kora-Sabi     Isin     Ariyo     Falokun-Oja     Mohammed Abduraheem     Aliyu Muyideen     Majlis For Sadakah, Zakat And Waqf     Universal Basic Education Commission     Olupako     Adedipe     Abdulkarim Adisa     Split Diamond Interchange     GGDSS Pakata     Susan Modupe Oluwole     Moses Salami     Saka Asiat Ayinke     Oyeyemi Olasumbo Florence     AbdulGafar Tosho     Oyin-Zubair     Yusuf Arowosaye     Olajumoke Monsura Gafar     Makama Of Kaiama     Baaziki Sulaiman     BECE     Saadu Yusuf     Alaaya     Mohammed Katsina Ahmed     Bayo Lawal     Tosho Yaqub     Patience Jonathan     Simon Sayomi     Mary Kemi Adeosun     Islamiya Abdulraheem     Baakini     Al-Ilory     Adeniyi Ojo     Trade Lenda SME Fair     Segun Olawoyin     Sheikh Alimi     Sola Saraki Educational Foundation     David Oyedepo     Elerin Of Adanla     Dan-Kazeem     Moshood Mustapha     Bisi Oyeleke     Umar Adelodun     Bukola Saraki     Arca Santa     Sayomi     Ahmed Mohammed Rifun     Plat Technologies Limited     Sulyman Tejidini     Kwara State Health Insurance Agency     Kupchi Hosea Maxwell     Aremu Odolaye     Ilorin South Constituency     Kumbi Titiloye     Kwara State Pension Board     Iponrin