SENATE President, Dr Bukola Saraki, has dismissed the purported clearance issued to the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Yakubu Umar, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in relation to his alleged involvement in N10 million corruption case.
Saraki contended that there was no time the EFCC cleared Umar, adding that even where such clearance existed, it was a confirmation of his (Saraki) position that the CCT, under Umar, could not ensure fairness in his trial.
The Senate President, who spoke in Abuja through his lawyer, Ajibola Oluyede, argued that the clearance purportedly issued Umar by EFCC could not override the recommendation made in 2014 by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) for Umar’s prosecution.
Oluyede said it was only the AGF that possessed the power, under the law, to reverse a decision to prosecute, arguing that his client’s application urging Umar to disqualify himself from the trial was still before the tribunal.
He faulted media reports that the application had been thrown out by the tribunal, noting that since the prosecution was yet to respond to it and had not been heard, the tribunal could not decide on it.
He assured that he would argue the application before the tribunal once it was ripe for hearing, saying “we are not saying he (Umar) is guilty. We are saying he is tainted and that he cannot act independently while the EFCC that is investigating him and had indicted him is now prosecuting our client before him.”
