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CCT dismisses Saraki’s prayer to disqualify tribunal chairman.

CCT dismisses Saraki’s prayer to disqualify tribunal chairman.
   

The Code of Conduct Tribunal on Wednesday dismissed the motion filed by Senate President Bukola Saraki, asking the tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar, to disqualify himself from further presiding over his (Saraki) trial on charges of asset declaration breaches.

Saraki is being prosecuted by the Federal Government before the CCT on 16 counts, bordering on false and anticipatory asset declaration, which he allegedly made between 2003 and 2011, when he served as the Governor of Kwara State.

Saraki had, in his motion filed on June 13, 2016, sought the tribunal’s order compelling its chairman to disqualify himself over allegation of a statement credited to him (Umar) during the proceedings of June 7.

It was the second time that the tribunal would dismiss an application seeking the disqualification of the chairman based on allegation of bias.

The earlier ruling by the tribunal, dismissing similar application, was delivered on April 20, 2016.

The defence, in its fresh application, had quoted the tribunal chairman as warning the defence against delaying the trial, with a threat that the delay tactics would not reduce the “consequence awaiting the defendant.”

But ruling on the application, the tribunal held that the comment credited to him was unverified and that the defence failed to meet the legal standard of proving allegation of bias against him.

Umar, who read the ruling of the tribunal, however, admitted that as human, that there could have been a mistake.

Sounding philosophical, he said he and the other member of the tribunal had done nothing and had no intention to prejudice the Senate President, adding that the two of them were mindful of the fact that one day, they would appear before God to give account of their roles in the trial.

He said the affidavit of “concerned citizens” filed by Saraki to prove the allegation of bias against him was unknown to law.

He said, “It is our holding that the defendant/applicant’s allegation of bias is merely founded on conjecture.

“The allegation of bias is a serious issue and it is capable of destroying public confidence in the judiciary.

“The affidavit by the concerned citizens does not constitute a standard for proving such serious allegation.

“The tribunal upholds that the application of the applicant is not legally founded and it is hereby refused.”

Copyright PUNCH.       

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