The Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, sitting in Abuja, yesterday, adjourned further hearing on the 16-count criminal charge pending against the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, till May 17.
The Justice Danladi Umar-led tribunal adjourned the case to enable Saraki’s lawyers to further cross-examine the star prosecution witness, Mr. Michael Wetkas.
Wetkas, who is an investigative officer with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been on the witness box since April 6.
He was the head of a three-man team constituted in 2014 to investigate six petitions that were lodged against Saraki.
Meanwhile, under cross-examination yesterday, Wetkas told the tribunal that he never visited nor personally inspected the property the Federal Government alleged that Saraki falsely declared as his own in 2003.
Saraki was alleged to have made anticipatory declaration in respect of his ownership of 15a and 15b McDonald Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
The witness told the tribunal that though Saraki claimed ownership of the said property in the assets declaration form he submitted in 2003, the defendant, however, secured the property in 2008.
Wetkas maintained that documents his team obtained from the Presidential Implementation Committee on the sale of Federal Government landed properties showed that Saraki used his company, Tiny Tee Limited, to acquire a property from the committee.
He said though Saraki listed 15a and 15b as his property, the Committee insisted that what was sold to Tiny Tee Limited was only number 15 McDonald Ikoyi, while Plot 15 Block 1-4 was sold to another company, Bitti Oil Ltd.
Meanwhile, Saraki’s lawyer, Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN), yesterday, drew the attention of the tribunal to documents showing that the said property at 15 McDonald Road, Ikoyi, was actually occupied by one Engineer Chalistus Egwuagu and his family until 2008.
