FG’ll appeal Saraki’s CCT acquittal –Obono-Obla

The Presidency has given reasons why it will appeal last week’s acquittal of allegations of false assets declaration against Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) last week.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s adviser on prosecution, Okoi Obono-Obla, told Premium Times, yesterday, that refusal to appeal Saraki’s acquittal will have negative implication for Nigeria’s fight against corruption as well as jurisprudence on false asset declaration.
Based on the foregoing, Obono-Obla said it was important for government to appeal the Senate Presidenet’s acquittal. “The Federal government will definitely appeal because we will not want that to be Nigeria’s jurisprudence on assets declaration, and so that a bad precedent will not be set. If we allow that judgement to stand, it is bye-bye to the war against corruption.”
CCT chairman, Danladi Umar, ruled last week that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against Saraki, thereby, upholding a no-case submission made by the defendant’s counsel, Kanu Agabi.
In his reaction, Obono-Obla said: “That ruling was outrageous and it was not based on the weight of evidence adduced by the prosecution.” He added that the “no-case submission” upheld by the tribunal was “anachronistic and we are studying the judgement; we should get the certified true copy by Monday or Tuesday. Then, we will file notice of appeal on Wednesday…”