Suspended Justice Walter Onnoghen’s trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, resumed on Monday.
Onnoghen appeared in court today, alongside the parties in the suit.
According to the defence counsel, Adeboyega Awomolo, there are about five applications.
The first was filed on January 14, 2019, and the second on February 4, 2019.
Awomolo demanded that the tribunal strikes out the charge, and prayed for an adjustment to allow the National Judicial Council (NJC) decide on the issues before the CJN can be tried.
He argued that the petition that founded these charges are before NJC.
Awomolo also asked the court to take judicial notice that the proceedings had begun before the NJC sitting.
The 3rd application was filed on January 31, 2019, in order to ensure fair hearing that the chairman should recuse himself or disqualify himself from the trial. The 4th application was filed on February 13, asking the tribunal to stay further proceedings and wait for the directive of the appeal court.
Awomolo said the last two applications have been overtaken by events.
He explained further that the only two relevant ones are the application questioning jurisdiction of the tribunal
The prosecutor, Aliyu Umar, however, said that in respect of the application challenging jurisdiction they filed a written address on January 16, 2019.
He argued that he filed a counter affidavit in opposing the chairman and a second member of the Tribunal to recuse themselves from the trial.
Comments