Following the issuance of warrant of arrest by the Code Of Conduct Tribunal sitting in Abuja Yesterday to the Senate President Federal Republic Of Nigeria Senator Abubaka Bukola Saraki,over his declaration of false Assets,there are strong indication that the court will ask him to Vacate Office.
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The Code of conduct Tribunal tribunal headed by Justice Danladi Umar issued a bench warrant against Saraki following what it said is his refusal to appear in court to face a 13-count criminal charge that was preferred against him by the Federal Ministry of Justice.
FG had through a deputy director in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. M.S. Hassan, asked the tribunal to order Saraki’s arrest.
Saraki who was billed for arraignment yesterday, sent his team of lawyers to serve the tribunal with a copy of the ruling of Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, yesterday, which summoned the Ministry of Justice to appear on Monday to show cause why the trial should be allowed to proceed.
Equally summoned by the court were the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Danladi Umar and that of the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, Mr. Sam Saba, as well as Mr. Hassan who signed the charge against Saraki.
Meanwhile, irked by Saraki’s absence at the tribunal for the commencement of his prosecution over alleged false declaration of assets, the Ministry of Justice prayed the Justice Umar-led panel to order for his arrest, saying “he cannot sit in the comfort of his chamber and object to his trial in absentia”.
The prosecution further maintained that Justice Mohammed lacked the powers to summon the CCT and CCB chairmen, even as it accused Saraki of engaging in “forum shopping” in a desperate bid to scuttle his trial.
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Investigations by PUO REPORTS revealed that the Code of Conduct Tribunal has the powers to order Senator Saraki to vacate Office immediately without Delay.
Powers of the Tribunal Includes:
(1) Where the Tribunal finds a public officer
guilty of contravening any of the of the
provisions of this a Act, It shall impose
upon that officer any of the punishments
specified under subsection (2) of this
section.
(2) The punishment which the Tribunal may
impose
Shall include any of the following-
(a) Vacation of office or any elective or
nominated
Office, as the case may be;
(b) Disqualificatio
n from holding any
public office (whether elective or not) for a
period not exceeding ten years; and
(c) Seizure and forfeiture to the State of any
property acquired in abuse or corruption
of office.
(3) The punishments mentioned in
subsection (2) of this section shall be
without prejudice to the penalties that may
be imposed by any law where the breach
of conduct is also a criminal offence under
the Criminal Code or any other enactment
or law.
(4) Where the Tribunal gives a decision as
to whether or not a person is guilty of a
contravention of any of the provisions of
this Act, an appeal shall lie as of right from
such decision or from any punishment
imposed on such person to the Court of
Appeal at the instance of any party to the
proceedings.
(5) Any right of appeal to the Court of
Appeal from the decision of the Tribunal
conferred by subsection (4) of this section
shall be exercised in accordance with the
provisions of the rules of court for the time
being in force regulating the powers,
practice and procedure of the Court of
Appeal.
(6) Nothing in this section shall prejudice
the prosecution of a public officer
punished under this section, or preclude
such offer (Cap. 23) from being prosecuted
or punished for an offence in a court of
law.
(7) The provisions of the Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, relating
to prerogative of mercy, shall not apply to
any punishment imposed in accordance
with: the provisions of this section.
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It will be recalled that Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki connived with the Leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) to emerge as the President of the 8th Senate last June,thereby dismantling the zoning arrangement of his party(APC).
Since his controversial emergence as the Senate President,President Buhari is yet to officially receive him on the capacity as Senate President.
The Police is expected to produce Bukola Sraki in court on Monday
