Chairman of Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Justice Danladi Umar, has once again insisted that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) concluded investigations into his alleged bribe collection and never found him wanting.
Justice Umar made this known while dismissing an application filed before it by Ajibola Oluyede, one of the counsels representing the Senate president, Bukola Saraki, in the matter brought before it over allegations of false asset declaration.
The tribunal says the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) does not have investigative powers but prosecutory powers, while only the bodies established by law are invested with investigative powers.
The EFCC is an autonomous body and not answerable to the AGF in carrying out its duty of investigation, Umar said, noting, “It is on the basis of the fact there was no evidence from the petitioner that the EFCC believes there is no sufficient evidence to prosecute Justice Umar.”
The assumption that it is only the AGF that can exonerate is misconceived, he said, and that EFCC has the power to exonerate the person they are investigating if they cannot find enough evidence to continue with the prosecution.
He noted that the former AGF had been informed by the EFCC in June 2014, about completion of investigation into the allegations of bribery, and even another letter in March 2015, to the present AGF on the same grounds, having been invited for probe by the House of Representatives.
While recounting his ordeal during the series of investigation, Justice Umar noted that the petitioner in the petition against him failed to substantiate his claims of inundating phone calls made between the chairman and himself, to pay him N1.8 million by not producing his phone for investigation on call logs.
He held that, the application for him to dissociate himself from the trial on allegations that he was bias was a mere issue of jurisdiction, and there ruled it out and “dismissed it in its entirety.”
Oluyede in his response said he was currently lost of words and “wishes the tribunal all the best,” saying he was going to appeal the ruling of the court.
The tribunal in continuation of trial also upheld the motion by Rotimi Jacobs, prosecution counsel to file amended charges against Saraki as a result of the facts and evidences in the proof of evidence pursuant to Section 216 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
