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#Post#: 283--------------------------------------------------
"Desperate People In Government Bent On Pulling Me Down&quo
t; - Saraki
By: magbytes120 Date: June 24, 2017, 4:54 am
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Desperate People in Government Bent on Pulling Me Down, Says
Saraki
*Unperturbed by appeal of CCT ruling Chides Sagay for putting
pressure on trial judge
By Damilola Oyedele in Abuja
The President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki says he is
unperturbed by the decision of the federal government to file an
appeal against the ruling of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT),
which upheld the plea of ‘no case submission’ he made on the
18-count charge of false asset declaration preferred against
him.
In a statement issued yesterday by his Special Adviser, Media
and Publicity, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki expressed confidence
that the verdict of the Appeal Court would not be different from
that of the CCT, as the facts of the case remain the same.
He added that the grounds, on which the CCT based its decision
to acquit him, remained unassailable.
The Senate President said the appeal was nothing but another
attempt to grandstand and embark on a media trial without any
substance.
He said the outcome of the trial at the CCT was expected,
considering the evidences given by the prosecution witnesses
during examination and cross examination.
“Those who are running commentary on the ruling by the Tribunal
and criticising it are those who are not even familiar with the
case and the details coming out of the trial.
“Some desperate persons in government and their collaborators
outside are bent on pulling him down at all costs, even if they
destroy the institution of the judiciary in the process.
“That is why they sponsored stories of allegation of bribery in
an online publication against the Tribunal judges.
“This same desperation made a man like Prof. Itse Sagay, the
Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Anti-Corruption
(PACAC) to appear on tape admitting in a foreign country that he
interfered with the process in the tribunal in an unethical
manner. He was instructing the judge on how to conduct the
trial. Corruption is not just about giving or diverting money.
When an official interferes with the judicial process with a
view to achieving personal objectives, it is corruption,” the
statement said.
Saraki called on security agencies to investigate those who made
allegations of bribery in his trial and invite them to
substantiate their claims.
The statement reads further: “We hear the same desperate people
say there was so much evidence and are surprised at the verdict
of the tribunal. But they forget to mention that this was a case
that the prosecution counsel amended charges thrice. If as it is
being portrayed to the public it was a straight forward case
following investigation, how come every time their case was
dismantled during the process, they went back to amend charges
just in desperation to get a conviction?”
The Senate President notes that another sign of desperation by
those who want to get him convicted at all cost was the failed
antics of the prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacob who in
collusion with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) sought to manipulate evidence at the tribunal.
“On realising the fundamental flaw in its case as it did not
invite the defendant to make any statement at any point in the
investigation, the prosecution brought in an agent of the EFCC
to tender old statements Saraki made in a totally different and
unrelated matter that had nothing to do with false asset
declaration.
“The prosecution forgot that the letter inviting Saraki to make
the tendered statements explicitly mentioned the matter being
investigated. However, the Tribunal, as it is obvious in its
ruling, saw through the dirty trick. It therefore disregarded
that piece of evidence and described it as irrelevant and of no
value to the case.
“If not desperation by the prosecution, why is the EFCC so
involved in a case of false asset declaration which is an
exclusive preserve of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB)? All the
evidence presented during the trial were from the EFCC. That is
why the only CCB witness presented by the prosecution gave what
the tribunal referred to as ‘hearsay evidence’.
“The CCB chief prosecutor testified that he got his instruction
to investigate the case orally. He made his report from the
investigation orally. Even the directive to ‘collaborate with
EFCC’ on the investigation was given orally, a development the
tribunal found strange and unknown to law.
“All these antics aimed at perverting the course of justice were
obvious throughout the period of the tribunal’s sitting. Though,
one is conscious of the fact that the anti-graft agency and its
ally bodies are frantically looking for a poster-case to sell
its anti-corruption campaign, and there is the hunger for
conviction in a celebrated case to advertise in the
international arena government’s determination to pursue the
anti-graft campaign, we implore them to achieve this aim by
allowing Justice to take its normal course.
“This appeal against the CCT ruling is nothing but another
attempt to grandstand and embark on another media trial without
any substance. This is why the Senate President is sure it will
be another exercise in futility.
“Dr. Saraki has demonstrated his unflinching belief in and
respect for the judicial process and its ability to resolve
issues relating to fundamental rights of Nigerians. That belief
in the judiciary is the basis for his assurance that the
position of the CCT that he is not guilty of the charges
preferred against him would be sustained in the higher courts.”
HTML http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2017/06/24/desperate-people-in-government-bent-on-pulling-me-down-says-saraki/#comment-112060‎
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