Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
Chairman Code of Conduct Tribunal, Justice Umar Danladi
Tempers flared at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CTC on Thursday morning as the Chairman of the Tribunal, Mr Danladi Umar was barely prevented from sending Rapheal Oluyede, one of the lawyers to the Senate President to prison for contempt following argument over the motion filed by the Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
The lawyer close to Saraki had reportedly filed an application asking the Tribunal Chairman to disqualify himself from hearing the suit of false assets declaration against the Senate President on the basis of an alleged ongoing investigation by the EFCC.
The lawyer had in the petition argued that Mr. Umar is likely to be biased against his client since he is being probed by the anti-grant agency which is also in the vanguard of prosecution of Saraki.
Oluyede, who has not been among the over 80 lawyers of defending Saraki this morning rose up and told the Tribunal that he has an application to move before the commencement of the proceedings for the day. But the Chairman of the Tribunal said he is not aware of any application.
He had barely finished speaking when Rotimi Jacobs, the prosecution counsel rose up to say he was served the application yesterday.
Jacobs said he has asked Kanu Agabi, the lead defence counsel if he filed any such motion and he said he did not. As such, Jacobs said he did not accept the motion.
The prosecution counsel also said Oluyede is an interloper as he has not been part of the defence team all along.
“This application, I only received it this morning, it is not ripe for hearing unless the lead counsel say something about it. I know that the application was based on false premise, EFCC has already cleared you on …Read More
Source:: PM Newspaper
