Prosecution Stalls Saraki, Others’ Trial

• Trial Adjourned to Oct 7

Tobi Soniyi in Abuja

Failure of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Malami Abubakar Malami, SAN, to release ‎the case file of the charge of forgery levelled against Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu and two others to the new prosecutor stalled the trial on Wednesday at an Abuja high court.

The charge was filed in June.

The court was informed on Wednesday that the AGF had not released the case file to the newly appointed prosecuting team of Alhaji Aliyu Umar, SAN.

Umar, who is now counsel to the federal government, told Justice Yusuf Halilu that he was not ready to proceed with the trial because the case file in the office of the AGF containing motions by Saraki and others asking the court not to entertain the case had not been released to him.

Umar informed the court that because the office of the AGF has not handed over the case file to him yet, he would rather apply for an adjournment to enable him put his house in order instead of starting the trial.

He also said that the adjournment would enable him prepare his reactions to series of motions filed by the four defendants.

The action of the AGF on the stalling of the trial however sparked off chains of reactions from counsel to Saraki, Mr. Paul Erokoro SAN and other defendants who accused the federal government of deliberately planning to frustrate the matter.

Erokoro SAN, vehemently objected to the request for adjournment, insisting that the matter was adjourned June for trial.