By Orue Mary Keke
A senior investigator with the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), on Monday, narrated to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) how the bureau received and investigated a petition, alleging non and false declaration of assets against the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghen.
Justice Onnoghen had pleaded not guilty to the 6-counts charge filed against him by the CCB. He was unavoidably absent at the tribunal at the last sitting due to instructions and advice by his medical doctor for him to take a 72-hour bed rest. He was reported to have suffered tooth-ache and his blood pressure risen far above normal.
The trial of suspended Justice Onnoghen continued today, upon his presence at the tribunal. Prosecution counsel, Aliyu Umar (SAN) informed the tribunal that the first witness, James Akpala was ready to testify.
Akpala, whose duty includes intelligence gathering, reconciliation of assets, is a senior investigation officer who has been a staff of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) for about six years.
In his testimony, He said on January 10, he received a directive from his superior, Samuel Madujemu, who instructed that he should investigate a petition written by one Chief Dennis Aghanya of the Anti-corruption and research-based data initiative, alleging breach of code of conduct for public officers, including non and false declaration of assets against Justice Onnoghen.
“After the routine investigation process, the team wrote to the Department of Federal Political Office under the CCB, requesting for the defendant’s asset declaration records from 2000-2019.
“Two assets declaration forms that the team received were examined and filed in the case file. Other members on the team, according to him, included Abu Simon Isaac, Deputy Director of CCB’s Intelligence, Investigation and Monitoring Department and Samuel Madujemu, the Assistant Director of the same department.
The witness said the petitioner was invited to make a statement and his statement was filed in the case file.
The tribunal however, admitted in evidence the asset declaration form and Bank statement tendered by the prosecution. Going through the documents presented by the prosecution counsel, Counsel to the Defendant, Adegboyega Awomolo, said that the asset declaration form of 2014- 2015 has been tempered with.
Continuing his testimony Akpalla said “On January 11, at about 12noon, the team visited the defendant at his office at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Abuja. they met with his secretary, Jane Esu Edu, who led them to him.
“He accessed the content of the petition and gave an oral explanation to the team in regards to the allegations contained in the petition. The superior, Samuel Madujemu asked him if he was willing to record or put his oral explanation into writing or the team should go and come back some other time but the defendant said he was willing to record his oral statement.
“He brought out a plain paper but the team informed him that CCB has a cautionary form for statements and he was also informed that he needs a witness to observe the writing of the statement who could be a lawyer or a reputable person. The defendant then called his secretary, Jane Esu Edu, to witness the statement. She sat beside the defendant and the defendant recorded his statement in his own handwriting.”
Meanwhile, the tribunal has stood down the matter for prayers.
