UPDATED: Saraki begins defence at CCT, calls ex-CCB member as witness

Ade Adesomoju, Abuja

A former member of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Dr. Ademola Adebo, on Tuesday, appeared before the Code of Conduct Tribunal as the first defence witness to testify on behalf of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who is being prosecuted on three charges of false assets declaration.

Adebo was a member of the board of the CCB dissolved by the Federal Government in June 2017.

But the witness insisted at the resumed hearing of Saraki’s trial on Tuesday that he remained a commissioner of the bureau since he and some of his colleagues had a pending suit challenging their removal from office.

Saraki’s trial resumed on Tuesday following the December 12, 2017 judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which restored three out of the entire 18 counts earlier dismissed by the CCT led by Danladi Umar.

Following the judgement of the Court of Appeal, the CCT had issued a hearing notice inviting parties to the case to resume trial on the three charges today (Tuesday).

At the resumed hearing of the case on Tuesday, Saraki’s team called Adebo as the first defence witness.

Led in evidence by a member of the defence team, Paul Usoro (SAN), Adebo said he was appointed a CCB member in April 2010 but resumed duties April 30, 2010.