Court Adjourns Hearing In Saraki’s Trial At Cct To March 18

SAN FRANCISCO, March 11, (THEWILL) – Hearing in the trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, has been adjourned untill Friday, March 18, to allow the defence serve its motion on the prosecution.

Just when the prosecution counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs SAN told the Justice Danladi Umar-led court that he was ready to present his witnesses, the lead defence lawyer; Kanu Agabi SAN said that there was a motion that must be ruled on before the commencement of trial.

But counsel to the federal government protested by saying: “This is a deliberate attempt to scuttle this trial. So that this matter will not go on; Today's business is trial. That's my submission.”

While arguing that the defence counsel was employing tactical means to stop the trial, Jacobs stated that he had not been served with the motion, and urged the court to discountenance it.

He stressed that the said jurisdictional motion was frivolous, relying on Section 398(2) of Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, to argue that the case which is due for trial cannot be stopped on counter motions that bothers on jurisdiction.

But the defence lawyer apologised to Jacobs for not serving him the motion personally, and asked for the indulgence of the court because he was new to the case.

After listening to the arguments of both counsel, Justice Umar admitted that Agabi was new to the case, and as such should be given some room to prepare his defence.

He then deferred the matter to March 18 for hearing of the motion and the substantive suit, after seeking the opinion of both counsels on the new date.

Meanwhile, no fewer than 30 senators accompanied Saraki to the court in show of solidarity. Some of them include: the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu; Senate spokesman, Abdullahi Sabi; Stella Oduah; Hope Uzodinma; Shehu Sani; Dino Melaye; and Samuel Anyanwu. Senator Ben Murray-Bruce also numbered among the 30 lawmakers.