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The Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki has described as ‘incorrect and untrue’ the alleged corruption levelled against him by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, just as he said that he has not been served the court process.
The Code of Conduct Tribunal was reported to have slammed a 13-count charge of corruption on Saraki on Tuesday. In a charge number ABT/01/15, dated September 11 and filed before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Senator Saraki was accused of offences ranging from anticipatory declaration of assets to making false declaration of assets in forms he filed before the Code of Conduct Bureau while he was governor of Kwara state.
But Saraki claimed in a statement released by his media office on Wednesday that he “has consistently declared his assets as required by law at every point before resuming any political office and that of 2015 is not an exception. It is surprising that the alleged charges is now referring his asset declaration made in 2003 while in office as Governor of Kwara State to formulate their charges. They, therefore, ignored the recent declaration for which they last week issued an acknowledgement.
“That we believe that the Code of Conduct Bureau following their processes in which after a declaration is submitted to the bureau they carried out verification of the assets and ascertained the claims made, should not wait till 12 years later to be pointing out an alleged inconsistencies in a document submitted to it in 2003. This same Dr. Saraki submitted asset declaration form in 2007, 2011 and 2015. It is unexplainable that the case in question is now based on the 2003 declaration.”
Saraki said he believed the charges against were politically motivated and stated that he was unshaken while also stating that contrary to the procedure indicated in the law setting up the CCB, the bureau never wrote to Dr. Saraki to complain of any inconsistency in his asset declaration forms.
“That some of the issues contained in the charge sheet are subjects of earlier decided and on-going Court cases. We, therefore, believe those behind the filing of these charges are engaging in forum-shopping.
“It should be noted that we do not know on whose authority these charges are filed when the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act clearly indicate that any prosecution must be authorised by an Attorney General and we know the nation last had an AG in May 2015. This is another clear indication that the CCT is acting under influence from outside its domain and, therefore ready to bend the rules to achieve this obnoxious objective
“We, therefore, conclude that this is not an anti-corruption driven case and cannot be part of the moves aimed at fighting corruption. It is simply a pure malicious and politically motivated prosecution aimed at undermining the person and office of the Senate President.
“That those behind this plot will definitely meet Dr. Saraki in court as this case which is based on outright fabrication and mischief will not and cannot stand the test of justice.”
Source: The Guardian
