The Federal Government has asked the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to freeze five bank accounts belonging to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen.
In a letter seen by The Cable, the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation said the restriction should be in place pending the determination of the case against Onnoghen at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
The demand was based on the Presidential Executive order No. 6 enacted on July 5, 2018.
His targeted accounts are with at Standard Chartered Bank.
“I am directed by Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to request that you, pursuant to the Presidential Executive Order No. 6 of 2018, forthwith restrict normal banking operations on certain accounts belonging to Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen pending final determination of the case against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT/ABJ/1/19,” read the letter signed by Abiodun Aikomo on behalf of Abubakar Malami, the attorney-general of the federation.
“These accounts are as follows: account No. 5001062686 (Euro) Standard Chartered Bank (SCB), account no 5001062679 (Pound Sterling) SCB and account no 0001062650 (Dollar) SCB. Others are; account no 0001062667 (Naira) SCB and account no 5000162693 (Naira).
The Code of Conduct Bureau had filed a six-count charge of false assets declaration against Onnoghen after a petition by the Anti-Corruption and Research Based Data Initiative (ARDI).
He was to be arraigned at the tribunal on Monday but he failed to appear while the case was adjourned till January 22.
The national industrial court had restrained Danladi Umar, chairman of the tribunal, from going ahead to hear the case against the CJN pending the determination of a motion filed by one Peter Abang.
The Buhari administration has been under severe criticism since the report broke on Saturday.
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government of intimidating the judiciary ahead of the elections.
I feel sad on Onnoghen’s trial – Osinbajo
Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo has expressed his sadness over plan to arraign the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, saying President Muhammadu Buhari did not know about the issue until Saturday evening.
Osinbajo said this yesterday while speaking at the third Online Publishers Association of Nigeria (OPAN) conference in Abuja.
The CJN is accused of false assets declaration. A petition was written against him by Dennis Aghanya, a former aide of Buhari.
He was absent when the trial began on Monday at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). A high court has stopped the proceedings from going on.
“I feel very sad that is going on at all,” the vice-president said.
He said Buhari has asked that no individual should interfere with what the institutions are doing.
“President Muhammadu Buhari, his whole approach is that, institutions should just do their work. I can tell by fact, that he did not know about this until Saturday evening,” the vice-president said.
“He did not know that there will be any kind of arraignment till Saturday evening. He has said categorically don’t interfere with what the institutions are doing. Sometimes it has consequences like we have today.
“My take is that I rather not have a situation where members of profession are being tried for an offence. I don’t feel good about it, as a matter of fact, I feel very sad about it, that is going on at all. But that is my position on it but I want to say that this is the way it works.”
He said although the chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) is new, he has gotten “specific instruction”.
“In the case of the Code of Conduct Bureau chairman, where these things are reported to, he is new, he is barely three weeks on the job but the specific instruction is that if you receive a petition, however it is [you have to] go through the process,” Osinbajo said.
He urged online publishers to go into the “facts of the matter” on any issue.
“Justice is slow and unfortunately and it is interfered with it. I will like the online publishers to go into facts of the matter,” Osinbajo said.
