Arrest warrant, lawyer escaping jail… the dramas of Saraki’s 90-week trial

After what seemed like an age-long trail filled with all sorts of drama, Senate President Bukola Saraki has been told by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) that he has no case to answer.

He was initially facing an 18-count charge since 2015 after the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) accused him of false declaration of assets while he was governor of Kwara state.

What and what transpired in the course of the 90-week trial of the nation’s number three citizen?

FAILED TO APPEAR AT SITTINGS 

He was first invited by the CCT in early September 2015 and after failing to appear on two several occasion, showed up on September 22.

In protest to his summon at the tribunal, he had filed an application for a stay of execution at the Abuja court of appeal, an application that was eventually dismissed.

THE CHARGES KEPT INCREASING

At first, the CCB, on September 16, 2015, filed a 13-count charge against Saraki bothering on alleged “false and anticipatory declaration of assets.”

The charges were however increased to 15 on April 18, 2016 – an addition which literally opened the door for more charges.

On April 27, 2016, another charge was added to the list make it 16 with the government later increasing the charges to 17 on January 11, 2017.

It was later brought to 18 on February 23, 2017 where the list was finally rested.

INTIMIDATION WITH LAWYERS

On June 9, the tribunal in which Saraki was being tried was filled to the brim – not because of the many reporters that had come to witness the sitting but because of the litany of lawyers in Saraki’s defense team.

There were a total of 106 lawyers led by his counsel, Kanu Agabi, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

Five other SANs were aboard the team as well.

THE ROLE OF FOREIGN EXPERTS

Determined to win his trial at the CCT, the senate president had reportedly flown in experts from the US and Israel to team up with his legal team in March 2016.

The experts, it was learnt then, were not lawyers but investigators, forensic and handwriting specialists.

They were reportedly charged to provide information on witnesses and documents presented at the tribunal by the prosecution.

“The investigators will ferret out and scrutinise thoroughly, all available information on the eight prosecution witnesses, including their school records, service records from the past and present, places of employment and personal information that may help the defence team in the course of the trial,” THISDAY quoted a source to have said.

OVER 50 OVER SENATORS ACCOMPANIED HIM

In the spirit of solidarity to their leader in the upper legislative chamber, more than 50 senators had at some point accompanied the senate president to one of his appearances at the CCT tribunal.

Among them were key figures in the red chamber including Ike Ekweremadu, the deputy senate president,a s well as senators  Dino Melaye, Andy Uba, Sam Anyawu, Aliyu Wamakko, Stella Oduah among many others.

PDP’S PLAN TO PRODUCE NEXT SENATE PRESIDENT

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were already counting down to an “opportunity” to produce the next senate president had Saraki lost at the CCT.

Peter Nwaboshi, a PDP senator and chairman of the senate committee on Niger Delta affairs, had said during the trial that the PDP had all it takes to produce the next senate president.

“If, but God forbids, because we don’t see it coming, by chance Saraki is removed, I can tell you that PDP will produce the next Senate President,” he had reportedly said.

“We only need three APC senators and we have them. The calculation is very clear to me. The calculation is very clear for PDP. We know what it would take us.”

Well, talk about unanswered ‘prayers.’

THE LAWYER WHO ALMOST LANDED IN JAIL

Danladi Umar, chairman of the tribunal, had “nearly” sent Rapheal Oluyede, one of the lawyers who represented Saraki, to prison for contempt.

This followed an argument over an application filed by the senior advocate of Nigeria asking the tribunal chairman to disqualify himself from hearing the suit against Saraki.

His motion, based on an alleged ongoing investigation of Umar by the EFCC, noted that the chairman is “likely to be biased against his client since he is being probed by the anti-grant agency which is also in the vanguard of prosecution of Saraki.”

But Oluyede was reportedly not among the over 50 lawyers defending Saraki prior to that time.

REJECTING WATER OFFER FROM CCT CHAIRMAN 

During one of his appearances at the tribunal earlier in January this year, there had been a mild drama when in the course of the sitting, the CCT chairman reportedly asked Saraki if he wanted water.

But, maybe shocked at the kind gesture, he had “rejected” the offer, saying no.

Umar had reportedly asked “do you want some water” to which Saraki replied “no.”

“You are okay?” Umar further asked while Saraki simply noded in affirmation.

He was in the dock when Umar made the “generous” offer.