Only the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) can exonerate the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) Danladi Uma, from the allegation that he received N10 million bribe from an accused person standing trial before him, Prince Ajibola Oluyede, one of the lawyers to the Senate President Bukola Saraki said yesterday.
He said while moving a motion at the CCT at the resumed trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki, who is standing trial for alleged false assets declaration and corruption, that the defence team was not at the tribunal to malign or accuse the judge but that had a duty to seek justice.
“Justice must not only be done, but must be manifestly seen to be done”, he said.
According to Oluyede, the EFCC is still holding the judge it did not say it had cleared him.
“There is something wrong with the EFCC if they can write what they wrote about the chairman of the tribunal and yet they cannot out rightly write a letter to the AGF asking that the chairman be exonerated since they claim they cannot find enough evidence to prosecute him,” Oluyede submitted.
He said the letter written by the EFCC to the SGF does not show that Justice Umar has been exonerated because it said the facts were not sufficient to prosecute Umar.
In his objection, prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) said:”My Lord, he cannot be right; the investigation has been concluded since March 2015 which led to the charge which he referred to,” Rotimi said. Justice Umar is expected to deliver his ruling on this motion today.
