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.”