An official of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Mr. Samuel Madojemu, told the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja, on Thursday, that the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, while he was governor of Kwara State, made a lodgment of N77m into his bank account in one day.
Madojemu said the money was paid into Saraki’s account on September 5, 2007.
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| Senator Bukola Saraki |
He said the N77m cash lodgment could not be traced to Saraki’s legitimate earnings.
The witness, who was led by the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), was testifying as the third prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Saraki before the CCT on charges of asset declaration breaches.
Answering Jacobs’ questions from Saraki’s statement of account with the Guaranty Trust Bank Plc held in his hand, the witness said, “The sum of N77m was deposited in the defendant’s account in one day.
“Your lordship, the cash lodgement deposited is not in consonance with the income of the defendant as a governor. It cannot be attributable to his legitimate income.
“Your lordship, the defendant was earning 254,412.25 per month.
“Within that same period, in one single day, as shown in the statement of account made available by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, there was a lodgement of N77m in his account in one day.
“From Exhibit 15, the salary of a governor as of August 12, 2007 (about a month before the N77m lodgement) was N254,412.25.”
Saraki was re-arraigned on amended 18 counts on Thursday.
The Senate President pleaded not guilty to all the 18 counts when they were read to him.
Among the 18 counts instituted against the defendant was an allegation that Saraki failed to make a written declaration of his “properties and assets”, that is, N77m paid into his account with Guaranty Trust Bank, GRA, Ilorin branch, on September 5, 2007.
The tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar, adjourned until March 2 for further cross-examination of the witness.
Credit: Punch
Credit: Punch
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