An effort by Senate President Bukola Saraki to stop his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) has been thwarted.
The appeal court has upheld the trial of the Senate president on 13 counts over a false assets’ declaration.
In a ruling this morning, October 30, Justice Moore Adumen of the Court of Appeal, reading the unanimous verdict of the three-man panel, said the tribunal, which tried the Senate president on September 22 and on October 21, was properly constituted, PM news reports.
Adumen added that the tribunal led by Danladi Umar could sit with the chairman and one other member.
Indicating why the verdict was delayed, Adumen said that the earlier scheduled date, October 19, had to be shifted at the eleventh hour, because the justices had to struggle to reach an agreement.
Adumen noted that the justices relied on section 28 of the Interpretation Act to reach the decision.
The CCB had filed a 13-count corruption charge against Saraki for failing to declare his assets fully, alleging that he misused state funds to purchase private assets while serving as Kwara state governor.
However, Saraki’s lawyer, Mahmud Magaji (SAN) had urged the court to expeditiously determine his client’s appeal on the grounds that time was very important in the on-going case.
Along with the appeal, the Senate president’s lawyers also filed an application seeking for proceedings before the CCT to cease pending the determination of his appeal. Saraki wanted the appellate court to stop his trial at the CCT.
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