Again, Saraki Fails as EFCC Clears CCT Chairman of N10m Bribery Allegation

The Senate President Bukola Saraki has once again failed after he tried several times to stop his ongoing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), even losing one of such bids at the Supreme Court.

The Senate President’s latest attempt to halt the proceedings was initiated on Tuesday when he filed a motion before the CCT asking the chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Danaladi Umar, to disqualify himself from presiding over the trial as he (Umar) was allegedly being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged bribery.

In a dramatic twist of events however, the EFCC on Wednesday sent a letter to the Tribunal, which had originally been addressed to the office of the secretary to the government of the federation, to exonerate Justice Umar, describing the N10m bribery allegation levied against him by one AbdulRashid Owolabi as unfounded suspicion.

Ibrahim Alhassan, spokesman of the CCT said, “The letter was addressed to the secretary to government of the federation, captioned ‘RE: Investigation Report RE: N10million Bribery Allegation against the Chairman Code of Conduct Tribunal, Abuja.’ ‘With reference NO: EFCC/P/NHRU/688/V.30/99, dated 20th April, 2016.

“The letter which was signed by Emmanuel Adegboyega Aremo, secretary to the commission reads: ‘Kindly recall our correspondence of 5th March, 2015, (reference EFCC/EC/SGF/03/56) with the above subject, please.

‘‘We would like to reiterate the commission’s position in regard to this matter as earlier communicated to you and stated that the allegations levelled against Justice Umar were mere suspicions and consequently insufficient to successfully prosecute the offence.”

Alhassan stated that the clearance letter received from the EFCC on Wednesday was second to the previous one sent on the March 5, 2015, during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan through the office of the then secretary to the government of the federation, Chief Pius Anyim.

As things stand, Senator Saraki’s latest attempt to stop his trial is dead on arrival. Proceedings at the CCT will resume by 10am on Thursday.

Source : The Cable