At least 20 Senators miss plenary for Senate President's CCT fraud trial

No less than 20 lawmakers of the Nigerian Senate ditched the plenary session on Thursday, March 8, 2018, to support Senate President Bukola Saraki at the resumption of his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

According to a report by TheCable, Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, presided over Thursday's session with only a few senators president.

Saraki is standing trial for alleged failure to declare some assets while he was Kwara State governor in a reduced 3-count charge.

The Senate President had earlier been cleared of all charges in June 2017 by the Justice Danladi Umar-led tribunal citing the prosecution's failure to prove the allegations, but a December 2017 ruling by the Court of Appeal in Abuja had ordered him back to the tribunal to answer for three of the original 18 charges.

When the case recommenced on February 6, 2018, Saraki's counsel, Kanu Agabi, had asked for an adjournment to give him more time to respond to the written address of the prosecution.

Saraki's 'crimes'

The Court of Appeal had directed Saraki to defend counts 4, 5 and 6 of the original case brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in relation to his alleged failure to declare some assets.

In Count 4, he is accused of making false assets declaration at the end of his tenure as Executive Governor of Kwara State in 2011 and on assumption of office as a Senator in 2011 in respect of a property at 17A McDonald, Ikoyi, Lagos.

In Count 5, the prosecution accused Saraki of making false asset declaration at the end of his tenure as Executive Governor of Kwara State in 2011 and on assumption of office as a Senator in 2011 when he declared that he acquired No. 17B McDonald, Ikoyi, Lagos, on September 6, 2006 from proceeds of sale of rice and sugar.

In Count 6, the prosecution also accused the Senate President of making a false declaration in his Assets Declaration Form at the end of his tenure as Governor of Kwara State in 2007 and on assumption of office as Executive Governor in 2007 by failing to declare his outstanding loan liabilities of N315,054,355.92 out of the loan of N380,000,000 obtained from the Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) Plc.