Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has vowed to take the “necessary action” against the verdict of the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja, which sends it back to answer three out of the 18 charges against him by the Federal Government.
By the verdict, the Appeal Court led by Justice Tinuade Akomolafe-Wilson upturned Saraki’s acquittal by the Code of Conduct Tribunal over alleged cases of false assets declaration.
In his reaction to the verdict by the Appeal Court, Saraki, in a statement by his media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu said:
“On the remaining three counts, which really touch on two issues, referred back to the Tribunal for the Senate President‘s defence, it should be noted that the Appellate Court only gave a summary of its decision today promising to provide the parties with Certified True Copies of the Judgment soon.
“As soon as it makes the details of the judgement available, our lawyers will review the grounds of the decision and take appropriate action.”
Meanwhile, Saraki has said that the court had confirmed his position that he was innocent of the charges against him, when it freed him of 15 out of the 18 charges against him.
It would be recalled that the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in Abuja, chaired by Mr. Danladi Umar, discharged and acquitted Saraki over allegations of false assets declaration.
His ground was that the prosecution failed to prove its case.
The tribunal said that the evidence against the Senate President was insufficient.
According to Danladi, the defence was able to discredit all the evidences adduced by the prosecution during cross examination of witnesses.
The tribunal upheld the no-case-submission of Saraki, stressing that the evidence led by the prosecution was discredited under cross examination and therefore unreliable.
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The CCT further held that no reasonable tribunal would convict a defendant on the evidence led by the prosecution through its four witnesses.
Days after, the government filed a notice of appeal.
Below is the full statement by Saraki:
Saraki: Court of Appeal Verdict Vindicates Me
We noted the verdict of the Court of Appeal Court today in which it agreed with the decision of the Code of Conduct Tribunal that Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has no case to answer on 15 of the 18 charges filed against him by the Federal Government.
We believe that upholding the no case submission by Dr. Saraki with regards to 15 of the 18 counts charges vindicates the innocence of the Senate President. At least, today’s judgement has confirmed the position of the Tribunal that the prosecution’s case was entirely based on hearsay, not on any concrete evidence.
The verdict of the Court of Appeal, just like that of the Tribunal before it, aligned with our position that the preposterous claims made during trial by the prosecution concerning operation of foreign accounts, making anticipatory declarations, collecting double salaries, owning assets beyond his income and failure to declare assets owned by companies in which the Senate President owns interests, among others, have fallen like a pack of cards and lack any basis.
On the remaining three counts, which really touch on two issues, referred back to the Tribunal for the Senate President’s defence, it should be noted that the Appellate Court only gave a summary of its decision today promising to provide the parties with Certified True Copies of the Judgment soon. As soon as it makes the details of the judgement available, our lawyers will review the grounds of the decision and take appropriate action.
We remain convinced about the innocence of the Senate President on the three ( or two) counts because we believe the decision of the Court of Appeal is not consistent with the submissions made by both parties at the Tribunal. Thus, it is our view that that aspect of the judgment will not stand.
The confidence and faith of Dr. Saraki in the nation’s judiciary and its ability to dispense justice to all manners of people remains unshaken.
