CCT: Again, Appeal Court Adjourns Hearing on Saraki

Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki

Senator Iroegbu in Abuja
The Court of Appeal has once again adjourned hearing of the appeal filed by the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, seeking to stop his arrest by the police and the plan to prosecute him before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) over alleged false assets declaration.

The case, which would have come up for hearing last week, was stalled and adjourned till Tuesday following the death of the presiding judge of the Abuja Division of the court, Justice Abubakar Abdulkadir Jega,  who died in the stampede in Mina, Saudi Arabia.

But the proceedings was once again stalled after the withdrawal of the said application before the Court of Appeal and substituted with a new application seeking for stay of proceedings at the CCT pending hearing and determination of the appeal.

The Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja in two separate rulings had earlier refused the ex-parte applications brought by the senate president seeking to stop his arrest by the police and stay proceedings before the CCT over alleged false assets declaration.

Saraki had wanted the Federal High Court to stop the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and tribunal from prosecuting him on the grounds that it is only the Attorney General of the Federation has the power to initiate a proceeding against him.

However, the tribunal had since then succeeded in arraigning  Saraki and he pleaded not guilty to the  13-count charge slammed on him.
Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal had adjourned till October 8 for hearing of the application on stay of proceedings.