Saraki closes defence at CCT after calling one witness

Senate President Bukola Saraki has closed his defence at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) after calling just one witness.

In June, the tribunal cleared Saraki on all the 18 counts of false assets declaration filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

But the anti-graft agency appealed the verdict at the appeal court in Abuja. In December, the appellate court affirmed the conclusion of the tribunal on all but three counts.

The court asked him to return to the CCT to open his defence in respect of the three counts.

On Tuesday, the senate Saraki’s returned to the tribunal.

Paul Usoro, his counsel, called to the witness stand Ademola Adegbo, who identified himself as a serving member of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

The defence led by Usoro had planned to call four witnesses but called only Adegbo.

After he was called, Usoro moved to admit Adegbo’s resume but Rotimi Jacobs, counsel to the federal government, objected.

Jacobs argued that his resume did not have anything to do with the case.

But Danladi Umar, chairman of CCT, admitted the witness’s resume into evidence after Usoro argued that the witness’s credibility ought to be known.

That took about two hours.

While cross-examinning Adegbo, Jacobs tried to establish that the witness was no longer a serving member on the CCB board.

The witness admitted that he was disengaged in 2017 but that the matter was in court.

He narrated how he was a chairman of a committee that was tasked to make “digitise” asset declaration forms and open an online portal for that.

“Part of our assignment was to create a portal so that clients do not come to the CCB. The portal has been created,” Adegbo said.

He also claimed to have signed over 300,000 asset declaration forms.

After listening to submissions, the matter was adjourned to February 27.