Senate President, Bukola SarakiThere was a heated argument at the Code of Conduct Tribunal over the ownership of a property allegedly bought by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, from the Federal Government.

Senator Saraki is standing trial for alleged false declaration of assets.

Under cross-examination at the proceedings on Wednesday, the prosecution witness, Mr Michael Wetkas, told the Tribunal that the property sold to the Senate President was privately owned.

This was contrary to the claim by the witness that the property was bought from the Presidential Implementation Committee for the Sales of Government Property.

However, the witness while on further cross-examination maintained that from the letters his team received from the Presidential Committee on Sales of Federal Government Houses and the Lagos Land Registry the Property indicated to be on MacDonald Street in Ikoyi, Lagos was number 15 MacDonald Street and Block 1 and not number 15 A and B which was declared by the Senate President in his asset declaration form.

He testified that from his investigation he was able to establish that number 15A MacDonald Street, Ikoyi was the same as number 15 and house 15 flat 1 to 4.

He was then told to read the letter by a second bidder on the property on 15 MacDonald Street, Ikoyi, one Energy Marine Limited

According to the letter, the company pointed out to the then Minister of Works and Housing and the Presidential Committee on the Sales of Federal Government Property that besides the land on ground being different front the measurement on paper, the numbering of the houses were ambiguous.

The letter showed that the property was labelled number 15A and B MacDonald Street, Ikoyi, Lagos, behind another number 15 and as such there would be need to make clarifications.

He admitted that as investigators, they did not invite Energy Marine Limited, the second bidder to explain the letter. He also admitted that he had seen the letter before now while he said he did not visit the property to clarify the discrepancies.

When asked if based on the letters he went to inspect the discrepancies, he said other members of the investigation team visited MacDonald Street and reported to him. He also said the report was verbal and that "when the other witnesses in the case take a stand, they will be in a better position to explain".

When one of the judges of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, William Atedze, asked him how he came to the conclusion that number 15 and block 15 MacDonald Street, Ikoyi, were the same as number 15A and B as declared in the asset of the defendant, he said although he was not conversant with how houses were numbered, as an investigator, he relied on the reports from the Lagos Land Registry and the Presidential Committee which listed the houses as number 15 and block 15 MacDonald Street Ikoyi .

In comments about the day's sitting, the prosecutor accused the defense of deliberately trying to delay the trial, decrying the way and manner he was handling the cross-examination.

But the defence disagree with him.

The Tribunal then adjourned till May 17 for the defence to continue the cross-examination of the prosecution witness.