The Federal Government has filed 18 fresh charges against the Senate
President Dr Bukola Saraki.
When the case of false declaration of Assets against Dr Saraki,
when he was the governor of Kwara state, came up in at the Code of
Conduct Tribunal on Wednesday Prosecution counsel Rotimi Jacobs
informed the Tribunal of its decision to amend the 16 count charge
brought against him.
After Mr. Jacobs stated his client’s request to amend the charge, the
tribunal adjourned hearing.
When the session resumed, the defence counsel, Kanu Agabi, asked the
court for an adjournment to allow the defendant understand the details
of the amended charge.
He prayed the court for an adjournment till February 28, but Mr.
Jacobs objected the application saying a long adjournment was
unnecessary.
Mr. Agabi had hinged his request on the claim that the prosecution was
the one delaying the case.
“This is the second amendment. Are we the ones delaying the trial? It
is a serious case. We need to go and study the amendment; we need
time.
“He has a right to seek an amendment and we have a right too to seek
time to go through the charges,” said Mr. Agabi.
The tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar, adjourned the matter to February
23 to take the plea of Mr. Saraki on the amended charges.
Speaking with journalists after the hearing, Mr. Jacobs said the
amended charges, now 18-count are based on fresh evidences gotten from
the testimonies by witnesses.
“It’s not about an increase in the charge, we just needed to amend it
to suit the new evidences from testimonies of witnesses. There is no
need to make heavy weather out of this fresh charges; (they are) in
line with the former one,” said Mr. Jacobs.
