The Federal Government
has appealed a court ruling that acquitted the Senate President, Bukola Saraki,
of charges of corruption and false declaration of assets.
The Court of Conduct
Tribunal last week cleared the Senate President of 13-count charge of
corruption levelled against him.
The government
yesterday at the Court of Appeal Abuja filed eleven grounds of appeal
challenging the judgment of the CCT.
The notice of appeal
was signed by Rotimi Jacobs SAN and Pius Akutah, an assistant Chief State
Counsel.
The government is
seeking an order setting aside the CCT judgment of June 14 that upheld the no
case submission filed by Saraki at the close of the prosecution’s case.
The FG also prayed the
Court of Appeal for an order calling upon Saraki to enter his defence.
The CCT on Wednesday
last week cleared Saraki of the 18 count criminal charges over alleged false
asset declaration brought against him.
Danladi Umar, the
tribunal chairman said the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie
case against Mr. Saraki.
He therefore upheld
the no-case submission made by the defendant’s counsel, Kanu Agabi.
In the notice of
appeal which was filed yesterday, the government said the judgment was
unconstitutional, without jurisdiction, unwarranted, unreasonable and against
the weight of evidence.
It argued that the
Tribunal failed to analyse and evaluate the evidence of the prosecution
witnesses before reaching its no case submission.
The government held
that the CCT failed to point out any apparent discredited evidence on the face
of the record before upholding the no case submission.
According to the
government, the power of the CCT when upholding a no case submission is to
discharge Saraki and not to acquit him.
It said the findings
of the CCT that EFCC did not invite Saraki was not supported by the evidence
tendered by the prosecution which was Saraki’s handwritten statement made after
caution.
It said the CCT failed
to be bound by the judicial precedent of a superior court of record and has
denied the government its right to fair hearing as guaranteed by the
Constitution.
It was further stated
that the CCT unfairly closed its eye to relevant testimony of prosecution
witness and the various documents generated by the Guaranty Trust Bank which
were admitted as evidence before the Court.
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