Lawyer condemns Senate for summoning CCT chairman

chika ebuzor

April 20, 2016 7:09 AM

Falana also advised the lawmakers to withdraw their summon, because they have no power to investigate criminal offences.

Human rights lawyer and social critic,

Falana said the summon was illegal, adding that the Senate lacked the power to summon the CCT chairman.

He said “Following the allegation that the Personal Assistant of the Tribunal Chairman allegedly received a bribe from a suspect on behalf of his master the matter was investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

“Consequently, the suspect has since been charged to court. Since the case has not been concluded or terminated it is the height of contempt on the part of the Senate or any of its Committees to decide to conduct another trial on the same subject matter.”

The lawyer also advised the lawmakers to withdraw their summon, because they have no power to investigate criminal offences.

Falana said “Instead of exposing the Nigerian people to further undeserved embarrassment over the Saraki case the Senate is enjoined to enhance the fight against corruption by passing the Whistle Blowers Bill, the Proceeds of Crime Bill and the Witness Protection Bill which were passed by the 7th National Assembly but were not signed into law by former President Goodluck Jonathan.”

“For the Nigerian people to take the war against corruption seriously the members of the legislative and executive arms of Government ought to be prepared to demonstrate leadership by example.

“In a country where the majority of the states are owing arrears of salaries the legislators should be prepared to make sacrifice by reducing their fat salaries and jumbo allowances,” he added.

Sometime in January 2016, Ali Gambo Abdullahi, the personal assistant to the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Justice Danladi Umar, was arraigned in court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Abdullahi allegedly collected N1.8m bribe from a former officer of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Rasheed Owolabi, to help him stop a case against him, which was before the CCT.

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chika ebuzor