Saraki In Fresh Moves To Stall His Corruption Trial At CCT

Following his failed attempt to procure an order of the Federal High Court to disqualify Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) Danladi Umar from his trial, embattled Senate President Bukola Saraki has now applied directly to the tribunal to have its Chairman disqualified.

In the application filed at the CCT’s Registry on Tuesday, Saraki, through his lawyer, Ajibola Oluyede, is raising the same issue of rights violation, which he canvassed in the fundamental rights enforcement suit that Justice Abdu Kafarati dismissed in a judgment on April 15, 2016.

Saraki is contending in the fresh application that

he would likely not get fair trial because Justice Umar was being investigated on allegation of corruption by the EFCC, the same agency which is conducting his (Saraki’s) prosecution before the CCT.

He alleged that since the CCT Chairman was being investigated, he was likely to be manipulated by the Executive to give a judgment that favours the prosecution. He argued that the current composition of the tribunal would not guarantee its fairness and impartiality.

Funny enough, the CCT has said it will not hear the application now as it is only intended by Saraki and his team of lawyers to distract the tribunal from the on-going trial.