Saraki’s lawyers walk out on tribunal for refusing to stay proceedings
Saraki
Proceedings
in the trial of Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct
tribunal (CCT) ended abruptly on Thursday after a team of 26 lawyers
that represented him walked out on the tribunal after it refused their
application to suspend proceedings.
The defence team, which included three Senior Advocates of Nigeria – Saka Issau , Mahmud Magaji and Ahmed Raji – had applied to the tribunal to suspend hearing pending the Supreme Court’s determination of an appeal filed on November 2.
But the tribunal, in a ruling rejected the defence’s application on the grounds that no date was fixed yet for the hearing of the appeal and that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, in Section 306 prohibits the granting of stay of proceedings in criminal trial.
Saraki is facing a 13-count charge of alleged false declaration of assets.
In what was a clear departure from what happened at the last proceedings, where it took the intervention of his lawyer before he could enter the accused box, the Senate President went straight into the box, without being prompted, when the case was called on Thursday.
When the proceedings commenced, the prosecution lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs
(SAN), told the court that the business of the day was the report of
the October 30 judgment by the Appeal Court in the appeal filed by
Saraki.
Jacobs said since the appellate court has affirmed the tribunal’s jurisdiction to try Saraki, it was incumbent on the tribunal to proceed with the trial.
He said his witnesses were in court and ready to testify.
Magaji told the court that his client has appealed the Appeal Court’s decision at the Supreme Court and has equally applied to the apex court to stay the proceedings before the tribunal.
He said although no date has been given for the hearing of his client’s appeal and application, it is important for the tribunal to suspend proceedings until when Supreme Court rules on the appeal.
The defence team, which included three Senior Advocates of Nigeria – Saka Issau , Mahmud Magaji and Ahmed Raji – had applied to the tribunal to suspend hearing pending the Supreme Court’s determination of an appeal filed on November 2.
But the tribunal, in a ruling rejected the defence’s application on the grounds that no date was fixed yet for the hearing of the appeal and that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, in Section 306 prohibits the granting of stay of proceedings in criminal trial.
Saraki is facing a 13-count charge of alleged false declaration of assets.
In what was a clear departure from what happened at the last proceedings, where it took the intervention of his lawyer before he could enter the accused box, the Senate President went straight into the box, without being prompted, when the case was called on Thursday.
Jacobs said since the appellate court has affirmed the tribunal’s jurisdiction to try Saraki, it was incumbent on the tribunal to proceed with the trial.
He said his witnesses were in court and ready to testify.
Magaji told the court that his client has appealed the Appeal Court’s decision at the Supreme Court and has equally applied to the apex court to stay the proceedings before the tribunal.
He said although no date has been given for the hearing of his client’s appeal and application, it is important for the tribunal to suspend proceedings until when Supreme Court rules on the appeal.
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