Supreme Court Halts Saraki’s Trial by Tribunal

 

The Supreme Court Thursday ordered the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to stop forthwith, the ongoing trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

At the commencement of the hearing on the appeal brought before the Court, counsel to the federal government, Mr. Rotimi Jacob, SAN, had given an undertaken that the Tribunal will stay action on the trial pending the determination of his appeal by the Supreme Court.

Mr. Saraki is facing a 13-count charge before the Code of Conduct Tribunal bordering on corruption and false declaration of assets when he was Kwara state Governor between 2003 and 2011.

He however approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the jurisdiction of the tribunal to try him, arguing that it was not properly constituted.

But in its ruling, two of the three-man panel of Justices of the Appellate Court threw away all the five issues raised by Mr. Saraki and ruled that the Tribunal had jurisdiction and ordered it to precede with the trial.

Sequel to the ruling, Saraki, proceeded to the Supreme Court, praying it should grant stay of execution of the Appellate Court’s ruling and to as well determine whether the Tribunal has jurisdiction.

However, despite the appeal pending before the Supreme Court, the Tribunal last week insisted it will proceed with the hearing, resulting in the lawyers to Mr. Saraki, walking out on the Judges, saying the decision was “judicial rascality”.

With the Supreme Court’s order, the Tribunal will now await its ruling to determine whether or not it will proceed with the trial of the senate president, Mr. Saraki.