The Head of Intelligence Unit of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Samuel Madojemu has admitted visiting Lagos to investigate assets of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki after he (Madojemu) gave evidence that he has completed investigation.
Under cross examination by counsel to Saraki, Paul Erokoro SAN, the witness also admitted visiting Lagos for the purpose of investigating Saraki’s assets after he had given evidence in chief.
This came to the fore at the resumed trial of Saraki before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), the witness also told the Tribunal that he took photograph of the Lagos property of Saraki with his ipad in February but cannot however, recall the exact date.
The witness further told the Tribunal that he was not alone in the Lagos trip and that the photograph of the assets are with the CCB.
Asked if CCB ever invited Saraki to enter a statement, the witness said the asset declaration forms sworn to under oath by Saraki served as a statement.
“When Saraki made the asset declaration, he was not under suspicion. At the point of receipt of forms, when the receiving officer discoverd that the form was not properly filled or some corrections need to be made, he will draw the attention of the declarant to effect the corrections in the form. The errors may be typographical errors, it may be disputive errors”, he said.
He said he cannot confirm if these errors were noticed in Saraki’s forms since he was not the receiving officer.
He also said he cannot recall in his 20 years at the Bureau if any one was ever charged to court after not being invited.
“I have handled many cases and there are instances were you invite the subject and they refuse to honour our invitation. Elder Godsday Orubebe was invited severally but refused to honour the invitation and was thereafter charged to the Tribunal and convicted”, he said.
Asked if it was justifiable that in the case of Saraki he was not invited even for once when Orubebe was invited severally, the witness said it is the prerogative of the Bureau to invite or not to invite.
“The decision on when to invite and when not to invite a declarant is beyond my competence. It is left for the management of the Bureau, so I cannot give answeron that”, Madojemu said.
Meanwhile, the trial continues tomorrow March 22, 2017.
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
