Saraki on CCT verdict: I harbour no grudge against anyone; Senators hail judgement

Minutes after he was discharged and acquitted by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, said on Wednesday that the conclusion of the trial vindicated his position that he was innocent of all charges
The Tribunal, which sat in Abuja, discharged and acquitted Saraki of allegations of false assets declaration.
The Federal Government had filed an 18-count charge bordering on false assets declaration against the number three citizen.
Saraki was discharged by the Justice Umar Danladi -led tribunal on the ground that the prosecution failed to prove its case against the accused.
In a statement, Saraki said: “Today, June 14, 2017, the Code of Conduct Tribunal sitting in Abuja discharged and acquitted me on a case of false declaration of assets, which started in September 2015.
“You would recall that at the beginning of the trial, I maintained that I will clear my name. The conclusion of this trial has vindicated my position. With the outcome of this case, our faith is renewed in our courts and our hope is restored that the judiciary in our country could indeed provide sanctuary for all those who seek justice.
“I thank the Almighty Allah, the ultimate Judge and the repository of all powers. He alone has brought about this victory. I am immensely grateful to all my colleagues in the National Assembly for their abiding support. All through my trial, they demonstrated their strong conviction about the choice we all decided to make two years ago.
“I thank members of my family for their unflinching support. I thank all friends and supporters back home in Kwara State and across the length and breadth of our country for their prayers and their sacrifices. My gratitude also goes to all members of my legal team for their tireless efforts to ensure the cause of justice is served.
“After undergoing the crucible of a tortuous trial, my vindication today calls for celebration.  It is my belief, however, that if there should be any celebration at all, it should be a celebration of the hopes that this judgment gives us as citizens that despite all the challenges that we face as a country, we are well on our way to building a country where the innocent needs not be afraid.
“I, therefore, urge all my supporters to refrain from any unbridled triumphalism. The challenges that our country faces today are enormous and do not allow for wanton celebration. Instead, we should all reflect on the significance of this moment and what it meant for our democracy.
“On a personal note, I harbour no grudge against anyone, regardless of the role they might have played in the persecution that I had endured in the last two years. I believe that if my trial had in anyway given hope to the common man that no matter the forces arraigned against him, he can still get justice in our courts, then my tribulation had not been in vain.
“Once again, I thank my colleagues in the 8th Senate for standing firm. Regardless of the distraction of my trial, we have achieved more as legislators than the previous Senates. Now that this distraction is over, we can even achieve so much more. We must now proceed from here with greater vigour to deliver on the expectations of Nigerians and show that this 8th Senate can indeed play a central role in improving the quality of lives of our people.
“Lastly, I thank all the gentlemen of the press for your abiding interest in this case, which I believe had contributed in no small measure in ensuring that truth and reason ultimately prevailed”.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Senate Leader, Sen. Bala Ibn N’Allah, said Saraki’s exoneration was victory for democracy.
He said in Abuja it was obvious that the case against Saraki was only a distraction to governance.
“The case was diversionary and unhelpful to the government of the day and now, he has been vindicated.
“Those who erroneously believed that they can mislead the government into doing a wrong thing should know that they have not been helpful to the government,’’ he said.
Similarly, Chief Whip of the Senate, Sen. Olusola Adeyeye, said that the judgement indicated that the judiciary was independent.
According to him, what this portends for democracy is that there is rule of law and that the judiciary is independent.
“It shows that the judiciary does not act based on what the executive wants or based on what the legislature wants.
“Everybody goes to court to make a case. If you make your case, you win; if you don’t, you lose.
“In this case the Federal Government failed to make its case and it has lost.
“The case went to court. If he had been found guilty, the moral burden will be on him to go to the Court of Appeal or to resign from the office, but now he has won and the case is closed,’’ Adeyeye said.
The lawmaker said that with the judgement, Saraki would settle fully to legislative activities, observing that the case exerted much pressure on him.
Sen. Bukar Ibrahim (APC-Yobe) congratulated the senate president for the victory, and said that it was success for the justice system in the country.
“It’s my pleasure as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and an admirer of the President of the Senate to congratulate him over his success in the CCT case.
“It is success for justice and rule. It is not about Saraki, but it is about justice for rule of law.
“Judgment has now been passed for future cases,’’ he said.
The Federal Government had filed an 18-count charge bordering on false assets declaration against Saraki.
Saraki was discharged by the Justice Umar Danladi -led tribunal on the ground that the prosecution failed to prove its case against the accused.
The tribunal said that the evidence against the Senate president was insufficient and washy.
According to Danladi, the defence was able to discredit all the evidences adduced by the prosecution during cross examination of witnesses.
The tribunal upheld the no-case-submission of Saraki, stressing that the evidence led by the prosecution was discredited under cross examination and therefore unreliable.
The CCT further held that no reasonable tribunal would convict a defendant on the evidence led by the prosecution through its four witnesses.
The Federal Government on Thursday, February 23 re-arraigned Saraki, on an 18-count amended charge over false asset declaration and money laundering.
The prosecution team, led by Mr Rotimi Jacobs, filed the amended charge on February 8 after trial had begun.
Saraki was initially standing trial on a 13-count charge of false asset declaration.