The travails of Senate President Bukola Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal have resumed again in the New Year.
Senate President Bukola Saraki
Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), the Federal Government’s Chief Prosecutor in the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) trial against Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, today begged the court to re-cross-examine the government’s primary witness, Michael Wetkas, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Jacobs, in his comments, stated that Wetkas had made some ambiguous statements regarding bank transfers and ownership of the properties, No. 15A and B, MacDonald Street, Ikoyi, Lagos State.
Commenting on Jacobs request, Barrister Atedze Agwaza, told Jacob that his request could be seen as an attempt to make the witness alter his initial statement, urging him to consider using other prosecution witnesses to make his point.
In a similar regard, Justice Dan Ladi Umar, the Chairman of the CCT, alleged that Jacobs request to cross-examine the witness could lead to the witness changing his initial statement, wherein he (Wetkas) stated that he was unsure whether the bank transfers in question included service charges, and that during the course of his investigation of the properties in Ikoyi, he never confirmed if No. 15A and 15B Macdonald street, were one property, or two.
After much back-and-forth, the counsels to the Senate President, acquiesced to Jacobs demand for re-examination, on the condition that they would be given the opportunity to cross-examine the witness after the prosecution.
CCT Chairman refused request by lead prosecutor for day to day trial saying the court has other matters to attend to as case was adjourned till Tuesday 17th of January, 2017.