The trial of Nigeria’s Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, for false asset declaration has been adjourned after he again asked the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal to disqualify himself from hearing the case.
He is calling for the disqualification of Danladi Umar, citing what he called an ‘unguarded statement’ which he claimed was made by the chairman on the sitting of June 7.
The Senate President quoted the chairman as saying: “I am not happy at the delay tactics by the defence counsel and I must say this thing out that this delay tactics will not reduce the consequences the defendant will met from the Tribunal at the end of the trial”.
Saraki in his motion filed by his counsel also said that the threat of consequences issued by the Chairman of the Tribunal had caused him to lose confidence in the impartiality of the chairman and that he was not confident that he could get justice from the Tribunal if the Chairman continued to preside and ultimately decide the case.
He also claimed that he ‘now lives in fear’ and is deeply worried that the Mr Umar had already decided his fate.
“It is therefore imperative for him to step aside from the case,” a counsel to Dr Saraki told the Tribunal on Wednesday.
However, a prosecuting counsel, who told the Tribunal that the principal prosecutor, Rotimi Jacobs, was at another proceedings at the appeal court, informed the Tribunal that they have received the motion.
He went further to tell the Tribunal to discountenance the motion at the Wednesday sitting since what was before the Tribunal was the continuation of cross-examination and that the Tribunal should proceed with that.
At this point, the Chairman of the Tribunal asked him if he had replied to the motion and Pious Ukeyima said he had just received a further affidavit at the premises of the Tribunal and would be needing time to respond to it.
“The prosecution intends to oppose the motion,” he said and insisted that the cross-examination should continue.
The Chairman of the Tribunal then told the defence counsel that he would hear the motion on Tuesday June 21 and then proceeded with the trial.
He reminded the counsel to Dr. Saraki that it was not the first time, he had been asked to disqualify himself from the trial.
At this point counsel to Dr. Saraki, Kana Agabi, told Umar that his statement had prejudiced the hearing of the motion, insisting that the statement of the Chairman of the Tribunal showed he had made his design already.
But the chairman of the Tribunal told him that he, Agabi, had misconstrued his statements.
“Saying I will continue with the proceedings doesn’t mean I have decided not to disqualify myself,” he told Dr. Saraki’s counsel urging him to be patient until the hearing.
Having heard both parties in the suit, the chairman of the Tribunal then adjourned the proceedings to June 21 for continuation of hearing.
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