Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his supporters after the Code of Conduct Tribunal sitting in Abuja discharged and acquitted him of 18-count charge of non-declaration of assets, in Abuja on Wednesday (14/6/17). 03225/14/6/2017/Ernest Okorie/BJO/NAN

The Federal Government has disclosed that it will appeal Saraki’s CCT acquittal.

This was disclosed by the presidential adviser on prosecution, Okoi Obono-Obla, Premium Times reports.

“Federal government will definitely appeal because we will not want that to be Nigeria’s jurisprudence on assets declaration, and so that a bad precedent will not be set,” said Mr. Obono-Obla. “If we allow that judgement to stand, it is bye bye to the war against corruption.”

The CCT had last week Wednesday cleared Mr. Saraki of false asset declaration, charges brought against him by the federal government.

The tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar, ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against Mr. Saraki, thereby upholding a no-case submission made by the defendant’s counsel, Kanu Agabi.

That ruling was “outrageous”, Mr. Obono-Obla said, arguing that it was not based on the weight of evidence adduced by the prosecution.

He added that the “no-case submission” upheld by the tribunal was “anachronistic”.

“Overwhelming evidence was adduced by the prosecution. We saw the best of advocacy from one of the best advocates in the country, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN. Contrary to that, no case submission, which I considered anachronistic, was upheld.

“The tribunal should have overruled the no-case submission and called the defendant to defend himself. Standard of proof cannot be the same as ordinary criminal prosecution. You falsely declared your assets, then the onus shifts to the defendant to prove he didn’t make false declaration,” said Mr. Obono-Obla.

According to him, it is envisaged the federal government will appeal against the acquittal of Mr. Saraki by Wednesday.

“We are studying the judgement; we should get the certified true copy by Monday or Tuesday. Then, we will file notice of appeal on Wednesday,” he said.

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“Federal government will definitely appeal because we will not want that to be Nigeria’s jurisprudence on assets declaration, and so that a bad precedent will not be set,” said Mr. Obono-Obla. “If we allow that judgement to stand, it is bye bye to the war against corruption.”

The CCT had last week Wednesday cleared Mr. Saraki of false asset declaration, charges brought against him by the federal government.

The tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar, ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against Mr. Saraki, thereby upholding a no-case submission made by the defendant’s counsel, Kanu Agabi.

That ruling was “outrageous”, Mr. Obono-Obla said, arguing that it was not based on the weight of evidence adduced by the prosecution.

He added that the “no-case submission” upheld by the tribunal was “anachronistic”.

“Overwhelming evidence was adduced by the prosecution. We saw the best of advocacy from one of the best advocates in the country, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN. Contrary to that, no case submission, which I considered anachronistic, was upheld.

 

 

“The tribunal should have overruled the no-case submission and called the defendant to defend himself. Standard of proof cannot be the same as ordinary criminal prosecution. You falsely declared your assets, then the onus shifts to the defendant to prove he didn’t make false declaration,” said Mr. Obono-Obla.

According to him, it is envisaged the federal government will appeal against the acquittal of Mr. Saraki by Wednesday.

“We are studying the judgement; we should get the certified true copy by Monday or Tuesday. Then, we will file notice of appeal on Wednesday,” he said.