Tribunal Orders Arrest Of Senate President

The Code of Conduct Tribunal presided over by Justice Danladi Umar yesterday in Abuja issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki for failing to appear before it to answer charges of false declaration of assets preferred against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau.

Justice Umar ordered the Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase to arrest and present the Senate President before the tribunal on Monday to take a plea on the 13-Count charge against him.

The Federal Government had on September 11th, filed a suit against the Senate President before the Code of Conduct Bureau. Among the 13 charges against him are ; failure to declare property on Plot 2A, Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; failure to declare property on No 1, Tagus Street, Maitama, Abuja (Plot 2482, Cadastral Zone A06, Abuja) and failure to declare property No 3, Tagus Street, Maitama, Abuja , claiming to own property on No 42, Gerard Road, Ikoyi and earning N110, 000,000 per annum at a time the property was under construction; failure to declare N375m GTB loan converted to 1.5m Pounds Sterling and used to purchase property in London; operating a foreign bank account; transfer of $3.4m from GTB to foreign bank account during his tenure as governor and failure to declare leasehold interest in No. 42, Remi Fani-Kayode Street, Ikeja,  making anticipatory asset declaration of a house in Ikoyi in the assets declaration form he submitted to the CCB in 2003.

After listening to the arguments of both the prosecution and defense counsels, the Judge who was not pleased with Saraki's absence issued a warrant for his arrest.

“The accused is expected to respect the summon of this court and respect the constitution which he has sworn to protect as a senior citizen of this country.

“I hereby order a bench warrant to be issued on the defendant. The IGP and other relevant security agencies are to produce him in court on the next adjourned date. No court of co-ordinate jurisdiction can halt the proceedings of this tribunal. This tribunal calls on the Senate President to come and stand his trial.”