SARAKI DISCHARGED AND ACQUITTED BY CCT ON ALL CHARGES

The Code of Conduct Tribunal on Wednesday struck out the 18-count charge of false assets declaration filed against the Senate President, Dr. Bulola Saraki.

The Senate President had on May 4 told the tribunal that he would file a no-case submission, which implies that he is not opening a defence but asking the tribunal to discharge him because there is no case against him.

Delivering its ruling in Abuja, the two-man panel of the CCT led by Justice Danladi Umar unanimously upheld Saraki's no-case submission, holding that the evidence led by the prosecution was discredited under cross-examination and therefore unreliable.

It added that no reasonable tribunal would convict a defendant on the evidence led by the prosecution through its four witnesses.

Noting that the prosecution did not sufficiently prove its case against the accused person, Justice Umar consequently discharged Saraki of the charges filed against him by the federal government.