SARAKI APPEARS IN CCT WITH 84 SENATORS, SITTING ADJOURNED

Reports reaching us have it that Senate President, Bukola Saraki has appeared at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) where his trial for alleged false declaration of assets is continuing, with 84 senators.

This much was confirmed by Premium Times, where it was reported that his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, Dino Melaye, Stella Oduah, Samuel Anyanwu, are among some of the senators who stormed the venue of the trial earlier today.

Bukola Saraki appears in court this morning

The senate president had been arraigned on September 18, over allegations of corruption and false assets declaration and was granted bail on self recognition.

Below are some of the assets which senate president allegedly declared falsely:

Property on Musa Yar’Adua Street, Victoria Island, owned by his company, BAS Trading, was valued at N700 million

A plot of land in Lekki, he acquired in his name in February 1992, was valued at N7 million.

A plot in Ajah he got in November 1992 had a value rate of N5 million;

The property at 42 Gerrard Road, Ikoyi owned by Skyview Properties Ltd was valued at N750 million

Another property at 19 Ruxton road, Ikoyi, owned by Skyview Properties Ltd was valued at N500 million;

The property at 62 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi also owned by Skyview was valued at N100 million;

Carlisle Properties Ltd, one of his company owned the property at No 15A & 15B McDonald Road, Ikoyi worth N160 million.

The property in Maitama District in Abuja was N160 million.

According to Premium Times, Saraki arrived the court at about 10.00am with the senators who were around to show solidarity for their leader.

Meanwhile, there was commotion at the CCT earlier as police stopped journalists from gaining access into the court room, as cameras were totally barred from the room.

At about 10.20am, more than 30 senators, including Ekweremadu, Abdullahi Adamu, Aliyu Wamakko, Sam Egwu, Anyanwu, Melaye, among others, who accompanied the senate president, were already seated.

Saraki pleaded ‘not guilty’ to a 13-count charge leveled against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) on September 22.

Melaye, the senators’ spokesperson informed that 84 senators stormed the venue of the trial to show their support for Saraki.

As at the time of filing this report, it was gathered that the court sitting had resumed sitting.

And the lead prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs began by tracing the history of the case at the court of appeal.

He also lamented how the appellate court fixed October 19 for the judgment, but were told that it was not ready when they arrived on the day for the judgement.

After the tribunal and the senate president’s counsels presented their arguments, the tribunal asked them to pick date for resumption of the hearing and they agreed that hearing should resume between November 5 and 6 in order to await the outcome of the decision of the Court of Appeal.