CCT to decide Saraki’s application on jurisdiction Wednesday

The Code of Conduct Tribunal on Friday fixed Thursday, 23, March to decide whether it has jurisdiction to try the Senate President Olubukola Saraki following fresh objection raised over his trial for false declaration of Assets.

Senator Bukola Saraki

Chairman of the Tribunal Danladi Umar reserved the ruling after Mr Kanu Agabi (SAN) counsel for Saraki and Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) the prosecution counsel have addressed the tribunal on the merits and demerits of the application.

Saraki through Agabi (SAN) is insisting that the application praying the tribunal to decline jurisdiction was different and distinct from the prayers that was dismissed by the Supreme Court on February 5, this year.

He maintained that the complaint filed  by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) against Senator Saraki has robbed the tribunal of its jurisdiction because the powers or discretion of  the Code of Conduct Bureau to file complaint cannot be delegated.

Agabi (SAN) a former Attorney General of the Federation also prayed the tribunal to strike out the charges against Senate President Saraki on the ground that he (Saraki) was not informed as required by law for explanation on the discrepancies before he was charged.

He urged the tribunal to follow the precedent it set on Ahmed Tinubu’s case who was discharged and acquitted for same reason that he was not informed of his false declaration by the Code of Conduct Bureau before charges were preferred against him.

Agabi said that it will be suspicious and discriminatory if the tribunal allow the charges against Saraki to stand.

But in his reaction, the prosecution counsel Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) prayed the tribunal to refused the application for being an abuse of court process. According to Jacobs, the grounds, relief and parties were same as his (defendant) earlier application dated 17 September 2015 that was dismissed by the Supreme Court.

On Saraki submission that he was not invited by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Rotimi stated that the defendant was relying on an old law that have since been amended.

Earlier during the trial on Friday, chairman of the Tribunal Danladi Umar had over ruled the prosecution submission that Saraki objection on jurisdiction should be taken side by side with the trial.