Saraki: My asset declaration form tampered with

Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday, alleged before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) sitting in Abuja that his assets declaration form of 2003 had been tampered with, and hence the reason the original copy of the form was not presented before the tribunal.
Saraki is standing trial over alleged false assets declaration while he was the governor of Kwara State.
At the resumed trial on Tuesday, counsel to Saraki, Paul Erokoro (SAN) made the allegation while cross examining the prosecution witness, Micheal Wetkas.
Under cross examination, Wetkas was asked whether he saw the original copy of exhibit 1 which is Saraki’s assets declaration form‎ in the cause of investigation.
He (Wetkas) initially stated that he never saw the original copy but on a second thought, reversed himself and said he sighted the form from one Samuel Majemu of the CCB.
When asked why the original copy of the form was not brought before the tribuna‎l, Wetkas stated that he always work with the Certified True Copy furnished by the CCB because it is a replica of the original and it serves the same purpose.
It was at that point that Erokoro submitted that “whoever is prosecuting the defendant is hiding something, by not having bringing the original copy before this tribunal. If it is important for the investigative team to see the original, then why is it not important for the tribunal to see it?”
Wetkas, however, denied the allegation, saying the form was filled and signed by Saraki before a competent Judge.
When the witness was asked if he was aware that the assets declaration form submitted by the defendant in 2003 was tampered with since it contained some entries of properties that were not put on sale by the federal government until 2006, Wetkas said:”As far as I am concerned, exhibit one was signed by the defendant himself on September 16, 2003″.
Also when asked if he inserted No. 15a and b, McDonald Street, Ikoyi, he denied.
When also asked if he knew who did it, the witness stated that “the Code of Conduct Bureau is a responsible organisation” and he would not believe it would have done that.
Still under cross examination, the witness admitted that the defendant was worth $22m, £12m, €2.6m and N4bn in cash, movable and landed assets before he became Governor of Kwara State in 2003 as it was contained in his assets declaration form of 2003.
Erokoro, however, led Wetkas in reading from the asset declaration form which Saraki submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau on assumption of office as governor in 2003.
Erokoro submitted that he needed to take Wetkas through the form to debunk the impression created by the witness earlier in his evidence-in-chief that Saraki would not have been able to buy property without obtaining a bank loan.
Wetkas confirmed that there were 16 vehicles which cumulatively worth N263,400,000.
The vehicles are Mercedes Benz S320 valued at N16m; Mercedes S500 valued at N20m; Mercedes G500 valued at N6m; Mercedes V220 valued at N2m; Ferrari 456GT valued at N25m; Navigator valued at N15m and Mercedes MN240 valued at N8.5m and Peugeot 405 valued at N2.9m.
Other vehicles include Mercedes CLK 320 valued at N9m; Mercedes E320 valued at N11m; Mercedes G500 bullet proof valued at N45m; Mercedes S500 valued at N30m; Lexus jeep bullet-proof valued at N30m; Linclon Navigator bullet proof valued at N25m.
“By my calculation, the total worth is N263,400,000,” Wetkas said.
He confirmed that Saraki’s landed property was worth between N2.5bn and N3.5bn
He confirmed that Saraki’s cash was worth about N50m.
He also confirmed that the total assets declared by Saraki including that of his wife and his two children under 18 in 2003 was worth $22m, £12m, €2.6m and N4bn.
The tribunal adjourned till Wednesday for continuation.