Saraki: More ‘damning’ revelations at CCT

A detective with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Michael Wetkas, on Monday told the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) that Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, failed to declare some landed property he owns in the assets declaration forms submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).
The detective and a prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of the Senate President at Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) over false assets declaration told the Danladi Yakubu Umar-led Tribunal that the Senate President failed to declare his property located at No 1 and No 3, Targus Street, Maitama, Abuja in the assets declaration he made in 2007 and 2011, even though he has acquired those property before he became governor of Kwara State.
The witness also told the Tribunal that although, the assets declaration form made provides a column for factories, ranches, farms and enterprises, Saraki wrote in the column that, “I do not have”, while investigation revealed that he has several companies.
According to Wetkas, the Senate President has substantial and controlling shares in Skyview Property Limited, Carlie Property and Investment Limited, Babs Trading and Manufacturing Limited, Delta Foods Limited, Lintas Limited, Orion-Agro Limited, PPI Limited, Bastone Limited, Quality Packaging Limited, among others.
He told the Tribunal also that property on No. 15 A and B. Mcdonald, Ikoyi, Lagos that were declared by Senate Saraki in his assets declaration form were bought in the name of Cerlie Property and Investment Limited from the Presidential Implementation Committee on the Sales of Federal Government Property.
The Tribunal admitted 17 more exhibits as proof that Saraki owns the property in question.
Among the document tendered through the witness by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), are GTB Plc bank draft of the sum N256.3 million, N12.8 million and another N24 million as part payment for property on No. 17 Mcdonald Street, Ikoyi, Lagos by the defendant.
“There is another draft of N180.6 million dated April 3, 2007. We have another draft for N36.1 million dated January 10, 2007, both as part payment of No 17, Mcdonald Street, Ikoyi Lagos”, Wetkas told the Tribunal.
He said even though the policy of the Presidential Committee does allow anybody to buy more than one property, the Senate President bought three of the property from the committee, saying that the property No 17 and 17A Mcdonald Street, Ikoyi were acquired in Saraki’s personal name, while the Property No 15, Mcdonald Street was bought under the name of Carlie Property and Investment Limited.
He said investigation revealed a list of property Saraki owns, one of which include Rustos Garden with nine property that yields a total income of N126 million per annum, which he also failed to declare.
Under cross examination by Saraki’s lead counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN), Wetkas told the Tribunal that it was the prosecutor who told him to file a summary report of his findings and activities during investigation.
Accordingly, he filed the charge against the Senate President on September 14, 2015. The witness report, which form part of proof of evidence was filed on October 30, 2015.
The witness also told the Tribunal that he did not investigate the pension scheme of Kwara State, neither did he know the entitlement of the defendant.
The witnesses had, last week told the Tribunal that Saraki was receiving monthly salaries from the Kwara State government for four years after the expiration of his tenure as governor of Kwara State.
The Senate President was arraigned by the anti-graft agency on a 13-count charge bordering on allegations of false asset declaration and money laundering. He had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charges slammed against him by the federal government.