Witness: Saraki bought three landed property – instead of one – from presidential committee

Michael Wetkas, a detective of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday said that Bukola Saraki, senate president, bought more than one property from a presidential implementation committee on landed property, “which was against the rule”.

Wetkas, who spoke when he was led in evidence by Rotimi Jacobs, counsel to the federal government, claimed that Saraki did not declare some of his property at the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

“The policy is that one person is not allowed to get more than a property. From the findings in this case, the defendant has three property acquired from the scheme using company and personal details,” he said.

“In Exhibit One, details of landed property in Nigeria, plots 2481 and 2482, cadastral zone, Abuja, were not in the asset declaration form.

“In Exhibit Three, 2007, he declared the property at No 1, Targus street Maitama, Abuja. In Exhibit Five, 2011, No 1 Targus, Musa Yar’ Adua street was also declared.”

He added that Saraki bought a property at 17 McDonald street, Ikoyi, Lagos for N522m, which he did in seven tranches, but that he failed to declare it at the CCB.

In addition, Wetkas also claimed that Toyin Saraki, wife of the senate president, denied involvement in the “activities” of one of her husband’s companies.

He said the company in question, Carlisle Properties and Investment Limited, is the one Saraki allegedly used to buy units of property he did not declare at the CCB.

He added that investigations showed that Toyin was a shareholder in Carlisle Investment Limited.

“We invited her in the course of our investigation; the reason was that her name featured as a shareholder in the company,” he said.

“She stated that she did not participate in the activities and disbursement of the account of the company (Carlisle Property and Investment Limited).”

He also said that Saraki has controlling shares in 10 companies, some of which are “Skyview properties, Carlisle Properties and Investment Limited, Orion-Agro Limited, and PPI Limited”.

The tribunal admitted 43 documents – account statements, cheques, letters and CCB forms – as evidence against the senate president.

Also, during Monday’s proceedings, Danladi Umar, chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), promised to do justice to the trial.

Umar made this declaration when Paul Usoro (SAN), counsel to Saraki, asked the tribunal to look into its decision to suspend the transmission of the records of the tribunal’s daily proceedings to the defence counsel.

He explained that the registry was being over-burdened with the task of making available records of the tribunal’s daily proceedings to Saraki’s lawyers.

The CCT chairman said that he had been fair in the trial, and that he was committed to treating the parties to the case equally.

“We will do justice to this matter. Justice will be delivered, I can assure you,” Umar told Usoro.