CCT Chairman Met With Man Standing Trial Before Him, PA Tells Court

Tobi Soniyi in Abuja

An Abuja High Court was on Tuesday told that the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Mr. Danladi Yakubu Umar, met several times in his chamber with a retired Deputy Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Mr. Rasheed Taiwo Owolabi, who was standing trial before him on false assets declaration charges.

Former Personal Assistant to the CCT Chairman, Mr. Ali Gambo Abdullahi, stated this before the court while giving evidence in a trial within trial on the disputed statement he made to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in respect of a N10m bribe allegedly demanded by the CCT Chairman from the accused person in order to strike out the charges against him.

The witness, who was cross-examined by the EFCC counsel, Mr. Andrew Akoja, told Justice Chizoba Oji that it was at the end of the last meeting of the accused person with the CCT Chairman that a sum of N1.8m was paid into his account by the ex-customs chief.

However, contrary to a statement he made on August 12, 2013, that the N1.8m was part of the N10m bribe meant for the CCT Chairman, the witness said that the money was deposited into his Zenith Bank account by the accused person to offset the medical bill of his ailing father.
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