CCT to hear Kano anti-graft chair’s motion against criminal charge on Friday

The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in Abuja has fixed January 12 to rule on an application challenging its competence to try Muhuyi Magaji, chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC).

In the motion, Magaji, through his lawyer, Adeola Adedipe, sought an order prohibiting the complainant from prosecuting the charge marked CCT/KN/01/2023 or any other charge against him before the tribunal or any other court in Nigeria.

The three-member panel, headed by Danladi Umar, adjourned the matter after Adedipe and Musa Usman, the lawyer to the CCB, presented and adopted their arguments and applications.

Adedipe argued that the charge was unlawfully filed in defiance of an earlier order made by Farouk Adamu, judge of a Kano state high court, on August 28, 2023, in a suit marked K/M1128/2023.

He said the order subsists having not been set aside by any court.

Adedipe is also seeking to set aside the leave granted to prefer the instant charge as well as an order discharging Magaji of all offences contained therein.

BACKGROUND

In 2022, Magaji was sacked by Abdullahi Ganduje, the immediate former governor of Kano, on allegations bordering on abuse of office.

But on June 21, Abba Yusuf, the incumbent governor of Kano, approved the reinstatement of Magaji as PCACC chairman.

Magaji vowed to investigate a video that appeared to show Ganduje, now national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), receiving kickbacks in dollars from a contractor in 2017.

In August, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICCPC) and CCB sent an invitation to the Kano PCACC chairman and its officials to answer questions concerning the activities of the commission from 2011 to date.

The Kano state government then sued the federal government in court over what it described as harassment and intimidation of the PCACC by three federal agencies.

A Kano state high court, in an ex parte order, asked the federal agencies and their agents to stop questioning or investigating officials of the PCACC.

However, on November 16, Magaji was arraigned on a 10-count charge over alleged breach of the code of conduct for public officers, conflict of interest, abuse of office, false asset declaration, bribery, and accepting gifts, among others.

The defendant pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of N5 million with two sureties.