The presidency described the acquittal of Saraki at the CCT as
outrageous.
It said this in in spite of the provision of overwhelming evidence
against him
Transparency International described it as an attempt to demoralise
corruption fight
The presidency has described the Code of Conduct Tribunal’s upholding of
the no-case submission of Senate president, Bukola Saraki as outrageous
and travesty of justice.
The Punch reports that Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla who is the special assistant
to the president on prosecution wondered why in spite of the
overwhelming evidence against Saraki, the CCT still acquitted him.
He said: “It is a travesty of justice. It is pedestrian and it is
outrageous. It is against the weight.
“There was overwhelming evidence, cogent evidence, incontrovertible
evidence, which cannot be dismissed by a no-case submission. The trial
judge ought to have called on the defendant to enter his defence against
the evidence adduced by the prosecution.
“The prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), is one the best in the country
and he conducted that case professionally, conscientiously and
diligently.
“So we are amazed, we are surprised.”
The special assistant said the notion that Saraki’s release was a
political agreement was false.
“It is balderdash; it is hogwash.
“We know that President Muhammadu Buhari is a paragon of integrity. The
Attorney General of the Federation is also a paragon of integrity that
will never compromise cases.”
“And we will go on with this fight against corruption despite the
frustration, despite the setback.
“We will go back to the drawing board, re-strategise because Nigeria
must be saved.
“Our head is bruised but it is unbowed.”
Transparency International also reacted to the acquittal of Saraki
describing it as an attempt to demoralise the war on corruption in
Nigeria.
Mr. Auwal Musa-Rafsanjani who is the head of the Nigeria chapter of the
group said: “It is another sad day for the anti-corruption fight in
Nigeria. I think Nigerians are sad that this has happened. It just goes
to show that Nigeria’s corrupt elite are united.
“To take advantage of the system is their thing; they will continue to
connive against the Nigerian people. They have no regard for
ethno-religious or party affiliation, the corrupt Nigerian elite are
united in perpetuating violence and plundering our resources to
perpetuate themselves in power.
“You can see how they were celebrating this kangaroo verdict, which is a
calculated attempt to demoralise the anti-corruption community in
Nigeria’s attempt to fight corruption.
“Even those people like (Col. Sambo) Dasuki (retd,) and all those who
helped themselves to our collective patrimony during the President
Jonathan era, who are standing trial for corruption, may be set free by
this judiciary, but we must never give up. We must continue to fight
until we rid this nation of the traces of corruption.”
Meanwhile, The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, described the
victory of the Senate President Bukola at the Code of Conduct Tribunal
as another victory of Nigerians over tyranny.
Punch reports that the governor said he was happy that he predicted that
the CCT will absolve Saraki in his predictions made in December 2016
and “it has come to pass.”
NAIJ.com gathered that Fayose, who spoke through his Special Assistant
on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, on Wednesday June
14, said the judgment was another lesson for the President Muhammadu
Buhari led All Progressives Congress Federal Government that criminal
cases are not won on the pages of newspapers.
He drew the attention of Nigerians to number eight of his 22 predictions
for the year 2017.
He said, “I said it categorically that the Code of Conduct Tribunal will
absolve Senate President Bukola Saraki and today, the prediction came
to pass.”
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