Samuel Oladipupo Essoodee
The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) has rejected the no-case submission made by suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen.
There was, however, drama in the court on Thursday as Onnoghen’s lawyer mildly protested when the CCT Tribunal Chair, Danladi Umar, adjourned the matter to April 1, when Onnoghen is expected to enter his defence.
Danladi Umar, CCT Tribunal Chairman, in a ruling, said the prosecution had provided sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case against the defendant to warrant his being called to enter his defence.
‘The Nation’ reports that, during the proceeding on Friday, Umar referred to a confessional statement made by the defendant in which he admitted omitting to declare the five domiciliary accounts he has been operating in Standard Chartered Bank since 2009.
The CCT Chairman said the confessional statement was sufficient to warrant the tribunal to ask the defendant to enter his defence if he had any.
Umar rejected the no-case submission and ordered the defendant to enter a defence against the six-count charge of non-declaration of assets brought against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).
Proceedings in the tribunal later went rough when, after concluding his ruling, Umar adjourned to Monday (April 1, 2019) for the defendant to open his defence.
Many lawyers in the defence team shouted in protest when Umar ignored appeals by lead defence lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), that April 1 was too short for the defendant to adequately prepare for his defence.
