Supreme Court Adjourns Hearing On Saraki’s Appeal Till February 5

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Thursday, December 3rd, 2015

By Ganiyu Nasirudeen

The Supreme Court Thursday fixed February 5, 2016 for hearing on the appeal filed before it, by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki against the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), hearing the petition on false assets declaration against him.

Saraki’s leading Counsel, Mr. Joseph Daodu (SAN), restated the grounds of the appellant, which include: improper constitution of the CCT Panel; its lack of jurisdiction on criminal suits and failure by the petitioner, to properly initiate the case against his Saraki, citing the vacuum in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), as at the time the trial began in September, in the lower court.

However, the prosecution Counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), insisted that the grounds of the complainant lacked merit, therefore be struck out. He specified that in the absence of the AGF, an officer in the same office could initiate criminal proceedings against any suspect.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, who led the seven-man panel in his brief ruling, adjourned the next hearing till early February next year.