Senate President Saraki Appears before CCT, granted bail, barred from using Presidential Villa gate!

The embattled Nigerian Senate President, Bukola Saraki appeared before the Code of Conduct Tribunal,on Tuesday, where he pleaded not guilty to a 13-count charge against him. He was granted bail as both the prosecution and defence agreed on October 21, 22 and 23 adjournments for the main trial.

Justice Danladi Umar, Chairman of the Tribunal, then adjourned sitting to allow Saraki receive proper brief of the 13-count charge against him.

In charge number ABT/01/15, dated September 11 and filed before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Saraki is accused of offences which include anticipatory declaration of assets, false declaration of assets in forms he filed before the Code of Conduct Bureau while he was governor of Kwara state.Other charges are that the Senate President failed to declare some assets he acquired while in office as governor.Among other offences, including allegedly acquiring assets beyond his legitimate earnings, Saraki is also accused of operating foreign accounts while being a public officer – governor and senator.The offences, the charge said, violated sections of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended.Saraki is also said to have breached Section 2 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act and punishable under paragraph 9 of the said Fifth Schedule of the Constitution.The charges were prepared by M.S. Hassan, a deputy director in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation.In another development, there was a mild drama on Tuesday morning between the convoy of Senate President, Bukola Saraki and stern-looking security operatives who were drafted to guard the Presidential villa gate as early as 6 am.The operatives pointedly told the Senate President’s convoy to turn back and enter through the main gate from Federal Secretariat, stressing that their stance was on the basis of “an order from above”.