Saraki Free of Asset Declaration Charges—Supreme Court

Saraki

Saraki Free of Asset Declaration Charges—Supreme Court

Nigeria’s Supreme Court on Friday cleared Senate President Bukola Saraki of all allegations of false asset declaration, upholding Saraki’s appeal that he has no case to answer before the Code of Conduct Tribunal(CCT).

In a lead judgment delivered by Justice Centus Nweze, the apex court discharged him of the remaining three counts against him in the case of false declaration of assets.

In the appeal, the Supreme Court vacated the judgment of the appellate court, which held that Mr Saraki had questions to answer regarding charges 4, 5 and 6 in an 18-count of non-declaration of assets and money laundering before the CCT.

Federal Government, in 2015, just after he won the sternly contested office of the President of the Senate, filed a 12-count charge bordering on false declaration of asset against Saraki but the charges were increased to 18 due to amendment effected by the complainant.

Saraki had said his prosecution was politically motivated to stop him from expressing his freedom as the Chairman of the Nigeria’s National Assembly.

Three years after going in and out of the court on the charges, the highest court in the land cleared the Kwara State-born politician from the wrongdoing.

All the counts against Saraki had collapsed at the Code of Conduct Tribunal in 2017, but the government again appealed the ruling. Saraki’s legal team contested the verdict of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal at the Supreme Court, arguing that Mr Saraki had no case to answer.

The Supreme Court in its verdict Friday said the Court of Appeal panel engaged in “forensic somersault” when it held that Saraki should answer three of the charges.

At the close of the Federal Government case, Saraki had made a No-Case submission to the Tribunal claiming that he was not directly linked with the charges against him, that the charges were based on hearsay and that prima facie case was not established against him.

In his ruling delivered on June 13, 2017 the CCT boss agreed with Saraki that prima facie case was not made against him and that the entire charges were based on hearsay evidence and consequently discharged and acquitted the defendant.