…to await Supreme Court appeals by March 15
The Code of Conduct Tribunal on Thursday adjourned indefinitely the trial of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki on charges of false assets declaration.
The adjournment, according to the Danladi Umar-led CCT, was to await the decision of Supreme Court on the appeal filed by Saraki and the Federal Government’s cross-appeal in respect of the case.
“The tribunal has decided to adjourn sine die (indefinitely) pending the outcome of the appeals at the Supreme Court,” Umar ruled after dismissing the prosecution’s objection to an adjournment on Thursday.
The defence led by Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), earlier informed the tribunal that the Supreme Court had fixed March 15 for the hearing of the pending appeals.
Thursday was the seconded time the scheduled adoption of final addresses by parties to the trial at the CCT had to be shifted.
The trial had resumed on February 6, 2018, following the December 12, 2017, judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which restored three out of the entire 18 counts earlier dismissed by the CCT.
The Court of Appeal had partly set aside the CCT’s ruling on the no-case submission which Saraki had filed after the prosecution called four witnesses and tendered documentary exhibits.
The court ordered Saraki to return to the CCT to defend three counts, which it stated the prosecution had led prima facie evidence to prove.
But both the Saraki and the prosecution had subsequently filed separate appeals to the Supreme Court challenging the parts of the Court of Appeal’s judgment they found unfavourable.
