CCT to resume trial of Bukola Saraki on March 10

The trial of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, will continue before the Code of Conduct Tribunal on March 10. The country's number three man is facing charges on 13 counts of false assets declaration. 

This is sequel to the recent judgement of the Supreme Court validating the trial. The lead prosecuting counsel of the Federal Government, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), had sent a letter to the tribunal intimating it of the recent ruling of the apex court. 

Jacobs sent the letter with a copy of the Supreme Court’s judgement attached to it to the Danladi Umar-led CCT on Monday.

A seven-man panel of the Supreme Court presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, unanimously ruled in its judgement on February 5 that Saraki’s appeal against the jurisdiction of the CCT and the competence of the charges lacked merit.

Senator Saraki's appeals were dismissed by the tribunal and affirmed the charges against him were valid and that the tribunal was validly constituted with requisite jurisdiction to try him.

In the 13 counts initiated by the Federal Government, Saraki was said to have made false assets declaration in his forms submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau as a two-term governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011.

He is also accused of making an anticipatory declaration of assets upon his assumption of office as governor, which he later acquired.

Saraki is also accused of sending money abroad for the purchase of property in London and that he maintained an account outside Nigeria while serving as governor.

Saraki initially refused to appear before the tribunal prompting it (the CCT) to issue a bench warrant against him.