Saraki must appear before tribunal: courts

There no more respite for  Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, as the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) and the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, have ruled he  must appear Tuesday at the tribunal to take his plea on charges of false declaration of assets brought against him by the Federal Government.

Saraki had banked on securing an injunction from the courts to stave off the CCT which is bent on dragging him down its sitting to face charges of falsification of assets declared.

The Appellate Court and the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, in two separate rulings on Monday refrained from offering him such succour.

The both rejected  the ex-parte applications brought by Saraki seeking to stop his arrest by the police and stay of proceedings before the CCT over alleged false assets declaration.

Saraki had pleaded with the Federal High Court to stop the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the tribunal from prosecuting him on the ground that he was already before the court to challenge the power of the tribunal to hear the criminal charges against him.

He had also prayed the Court of Appeal to stay the order of arrest made by the tribunal against him and to also stay proceedings of the code of conduct tribunal.

Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed presiding over the Federal High Court  refused the application on the ground that Saraki and defendants in his suit had already joined issues with each other. He adjourned hearing on the substantive till September 30.

Saraki's counsel, Adebayo Adelodun (SAN), had through an ex-parte application also prayed the appeal court to set aside the order of arrest on Saraki and to stay the proceedings at the tribunal.The presiding judge, Justice Moore Adumein,  held ‎that by Section 15 of the Court of Appeal Act 2004 as amended, the Court of Appeal has general power to make interim orders.

Saraki has promised appear at the tribunal on Tuesday.

Speaking to journalists at the National Assembly yesterday,

According to him, the Senate president stated that as a law-abiding citizen, he wanted to ensure that due process is followed. Saraki said he had nothing to hide, just as he declared his continued confidence in the Judiciary.

He spoke to journalists at the National Assembly on Monday.

Saraki said that his earlier decision to stay away from  the tribunal was based on legal advice he received from his counsel that it was not necessary for him to appear before the tribunal yet since the jurisdiction of the tribunal and the process of initiating the matter were being challenged before the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Saraki further explained that following the adjournment for the determination of the motion on notice and the substantive suit before the Federal High Court to 30th of September, and the appeal pending before the Court of Appeal adjourned to the 29th of September 2015, he has decided, as a law abiding citizen, to appear before the tribunal in the interim to demonstrate his respect for the rule of law in spite of his personal reservation on the process of his trial and the purpose it may be intended to serve.

uation in some quarters that President Muhammadu Buhari is responsible for the ordeal of the Senate President, describing it as uncharitable, and those who hold such opinion as unfair to the Buhari.

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