Code of Conduct Tribunal insists on Saraki’s trial

(Nigeria) The Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, on Monday refused the bid by the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki, to stop trial in a case brought against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau.
Justice Danladi Umar, the Chairman of the tribunal, in a ruling in Abuja, ordered that the Inspector-General of Police should arrest Saraki and bring him to court.
The tribunal had, on September 18, issued bench warrant against the Senate president following his failure to appear before it to defend the charges brought against him.
Umar refused to stop the proceeding as canvassed by Mr Joseph Daudu, Counsel to the accused, on grounds that the tribunal was duty bound to implement the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
He said that the composition of the tribunal was legal since the law allows the chairman and one other member to form a quorum.
``In view of the provisions of the Administration of Criminal justice Act, 2015, the application to stay proceeding in this matter due mainly to an appeal at the registry of the Court of Appeal is hereby refused.
``Accordingly, the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies are to arrest and produce the accused person on September 22 to answer the charges against him,” the tribunal chairman said.
Daudu had told the tribunal that a notice of appeal challenging the composition of the tribunal to hear the case against his client was illegal.
He said that two members could not form a quorum, and urged the tribunal to stop sitting on the case since a notice of appeal had been filed at the Court of Appeal.
Mr Rotimi Jacobs, the prosecution counsel, had urged the tribunal to reject the motion to stop the proceeding because of a notice of appeal.
The Code of Conduct Bureau had filed a 13-count charge before the tribunal against Saraki over false declaration of assets.