By Kayode Adeoti
The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki will today resume trial with the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) over alleged false declaration of asset.
The Tribunal had earlier adjourned the case till today to enable the defence reply to the prosecution’s written address.
Recall that Saraki was arraigned in 2015 by the Federal Government for alleged false declaration of asset after he served as governor of Kwara state between 2003 and 2011.
The tribunal last year acquitted him on all the charges and discharged him but the Court of Appeal sustained three of the counts in the charges after an appeal by the prosecution and referred the matter back to the tribunal for retrial.
At the previous hearing, February 6, Saraki had closed his defence after presenting only one witness instead of the four witnesses he initially indicated he will call.
The hearing started with an argument between the defence counsel, Kanu Agabi SAN and the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs SAN, who submitted a brief late.
Agabi argued that the defence was eager for the trial to be brought to end but that the prosecution was delaying the process.
Both counsels were supposed to submit their written addresses on Tuesday.
According to Agabi, the prosecution counsel sent him his written addresses late leaving the defence with no time to go over it and prepare it reply.
Rotimi, in his response submitted that it was the defence who delayed the process by not filling the brief on time.
He recalled that he had asked for 14 days to submit his brief while the defence asked for seven days but that defence could not meet up with the seven days given.
“We filled our own written address less than the period we asked for. If anybody has made it impossible for this trial to go on, it is the defendant and not Rotimi Jacobs,” the prosecution counsel said.
The defence counsel, Agabi responded by saying weekend days were not to be counted among days he requested for to make his submission.
“We ask Your Lordship for time to check what he has submitted in his address,”
The judge, Danladi Umar, however granted the request of the defence even he adjourned the case to today, March 8.
The judge further stressed that on the adjourned date, the two counsels must submit their written addresses, urging them to make it brief and to be concluded on the same day to enable him set a day to deliver the judgement.
