Saraki's "Assets Fraud" Exposed By Presidential Committee

The first prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, before the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja, Mr. Michael Wetkas, revealed on Wednesday that Saraki made an anticipatory declaration of assets while he was governor of Kwara State between 2003 and 2011.

The subject of the alleged anticipatory asset declaration of asset in count 1 in the charges preferred against the Senate President is said to be the property at 15, McDonald Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Under cross-examination by defence lawyer, Paul Usoro, on Wednesday, Wetkas said his investigative team relied on information provided by the Presidential Implementation Committee on the Sales of Federal Government Properties which sold off the property in question in 2006.

The witness said, the presidential committee said it did not have in its record, 15 A & B, McDonald Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, as declared by Saraki in 2003.

He said what the committee said it had were 15, and Block 15, Flat 1 to 4, Mcdonald Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

He said on assuming office as the Governor of Kwara State in 2003, Saraki declared that he acquired 15A and B, Mcdonald Road, Ikoyi, Lagos in 2000, whereas, the presidential committee wrote to his investigative team that it sold 15, McDonald Road, Ikoyi, Lagos to Saraki through his company, Tiny Tee Limited, in 2006.

He added, “The only authority that we could refer to was the presidential committee or the Lagos State Land Registry or the Presidential Implementation Committee. The other letters referred to by them (Saraki’s lawyers) were by private individuals.

“We relied on the document from the Presidential Implementation Committee which said they only had 15, McDonald Road and Block 15, Flat 1 to 4, McDonald Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, which was occupied by another lessee.

“We relied on the numbering of the properties by the presidential implementation committee and they stated that 15, McDonald Road, Ikoyi was sold to Tiny-Tee. That was the strength of our conclusion.”

Saraki is being prosecuted before the CCT on 16 counts, including false and anticipatory asset declaration, operation and maintenance of foreign accounts while serving as Governor, between 2003 and 2007.