Chukwuemeka Njoku, Abuja.
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, was on Friday arraigned before the Code of Conduct Tribunal Abuja, on a 6-count charge bordering on non declaration of assets and money laundering offences. Onnoghen was led into the court room by his lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN).However,when the 6 counts were read, the suspended CJN denied all the charges. His counsel, Uche, applied orally for bail on self recognizance, which the prosecutor did not oppose. Ruling on the application, Chairman of the tribunal, Umar Danladi granted the CJN bail on self recognition. Consequently, the tribunal has adjourned to March 11, to hear all pending applications. Part of the charge reads, “That you, JUSTICE WALTER NKANU ONNOGHEN,CJN, GCON between 8th June 2005 to 14th December 2016 being a publicofficer serving as a Judicial Officer in the Federal Republic ofNigeria as a Justice of the Supreme Court failed to declare and submita written declaration of all your assets and liabilities within theprescribed period of three (3) months after being sworn in as thejustice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on the 8th day of June 2005and your thereby contravened the provisions of section 15(1) of theCode of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act Cap C15 LFN 2004 andpunishable under section 23(2) a, b and c of the same Act.That you, JUSTICE WALTER NKANU ONNOGHEN, CJN, GCON being a publicofficer as Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria who is under a dutyto declare his assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau Chief on or about14th December, 2016, falsely declared your assets in your Declarationof Assets Form CCB 1 (after your were sworn in as Justice of theSupreme Court of Nigeria) by omitting to declare a domiciliary (USDollars) account No. 870001062650 maintained with Standard CharteredBank of (Nig) Ltd, Wuse 2, Abuja, which is being operated since 2011and your thereby contravened the provisions of section 15(2) readalong with section 15(1) 15(1) of the Code of Conduct Bureau andTribunal Act Cap C15 LFN 2004 and punishable under section 23(2) a, band c of the same Act.That you, JUSTICE WALTER NKANU ONNOGHEN, CJN, GCON being a publicofficer as Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria who is under a dutyto declare his assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau Chief on or about14th December, 2016, falsely declared your assets in your Declarationof Assets Form CCB 1 (after your were sworn in as Justice of theSupreme Court of Nigeria) by omitting to declare a domiciliary (Euro)account No. 93001062686 maintained with Standard Chartered Bank of(Nig) Ltd, Wuse 2, Abuja, which is being operated since 2011 and yourthereby contravened the provisions of section 15(2) read along withsection 15(1) 15(1) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act CapC15 LFN 2004 and punishable under section 23(2) a, b and c of the sameAct.
