The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) will resume the trial of Justice Walter Onnoghen on February 4, 2019.
Onnoghen, who was suspended by President Muhammadu Buhari, on a directive issued by the CCT, will face trial over a six-count charge bordering on his alleged of non-declaration of some of his assets as prescribed by the law.
The Danladi Umar-led tribunal, in a statement on Thursday, disclosed that the Federal Government had in a letter that was signed by two legal officers at the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, Musa Ibrahim Usman and Fatima Danjuma Ali, applied for continuation of hearing on the charge against Onnoghen. In the statement that was signed by the CCT’s Head of Press & Public Relations, Mr. Ibraheem Al-Hassan, the Federal Government via the letter by the CCB drew attention of the Mr. Umar’s three-member panel to a ruling of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, which cleared the coast for Onnoghen’s trial to proceed.
The appellate court had in a unanimous decision by a three-man panel led by Justice Abdul Aboki, declined Onnoghen’s request for his trial to be temporarily suspended, pending the determination of an appeal he lodged to challenge the competence of the charge and the procedure adopted by the CCT.
According to Al-Hassan, FG’s request read in part: “The above subject refers. This case came up for hearing of preliminary objection to the jurisdiction of the Tribunal on the 28th of January, 2019 but the Tribunal could not proceed due to the pendency of the case at the Court of Appeal.
“However, in the wake of this afternoon, 30th January, 2019 the Court of Appeal has thrown out the appeal.
“Consequently on the above, we urge the Honourable Tribunal to give us a date for resumption of the trial subject to the convenience of the Tribunal, most obliged my Lord”.
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