Senate President Bukola Saraki

Ayorinde Oluokun

The Code of Conduct Tribunal adjourned hearing in the 16 count charges of false declaration of assets leveled against Senate President Bukola Saraki on Wednesday. Before the adjournment, Paul Usoro, a member of defence team had continued with cross examination of Micheal Wetkas, the first prosecution witness.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria had based his cross examination on count 6 of the 16 charges in which it was alleged that the Senate President failed to declare properties locted at Plot 2481 Cadastral Zone and 2482 Cadastral zone, Abuja in the assets declaration form he filled on assumption of office of governor of Kwara State in 2003.

Going through documents already admitted as exhibits in court, Usoro tried to convince the court that the properties belonged to a company, Carlile Properties Ltd and not to Saraki as an individual.

The Senior lawyer also pointed out that the Power of Attorney ceding the property, the Certificate of Occupancy was between one David Baba Akawo and Carlisle Properties Ltd.

The lawyer subsequently made the prosecution witness to read out the shareholders of Carlisle property, as listed in a response by Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC to a letter of enquiry from EFCC asking for information on the ownership of Carlisle Properties.

The letter as read by Wetkas indicated that the shareholders of the company are Oluwatoyin Saraki and one Babs Trading and Manufacturing Limited.

At this point, Usoro asked Wetkas if Saraki’s name was mentioned in any of the documents.

“Even though the documentation is in the name of Carlsile Ltd, we believed it belonged to the defendant because Carlisle property is his own company and he later declared the property as his own in the course of his other assets declarations,” Wetkas said.

He added that Saraki’s wife confirmed her husband’s ownership of the company when she was questioned by the anti graft agency.

“We had interaction with Oluwatoyin Ojora and he confirmed to us that the Company belonged to the defendant and the second shareholder which is Babs Trading Trading and Manufacturing Ltd is also a company which the defendant declared as his own company in his assets declaration form. And the deposition of Mrs Oliwatoyin Ojora that the company belonged to the defendant was also confirmed by Managing Director of the company Mr. Kenneth Izuagbe,” insisted Wetkas.

He however said EFCC did not confront the Senate President with the claims by his wife that the company belonged to him. The trial was adjourned to Wedneday, 1 June as Mr Danladi Umar said the Tribunal has other cases to attend to on Thursday and next Tuesday.