A lawyer and investigator attached to the Code of Conduct Bureau, Usman Mohammed, says the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, failed to declare his dollar, pounds and euro accounts when he was elevated to the Supreme Court.
In his statement, which has been attached to the charge sheet, the witness said investigations began after a Non-Governmental Organisation, Anti-Corruption and Research Based Data Initiative, wrote a petition against the CJN.
The statement of the witness reads in part, “That the respondent (Onnoghen) also operates three domiciliary and two naira accounts with Standard Chartered Bank Limited with the following particulars.
“Domiciliary account number: 870001062650 bearing the name Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen.
“Domiciliary account number: 9300106268bearing the name Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen
“Domiciliary account number: 285001062679 bearing the name Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen
“Domiciliary account number: 5001062683 bearing the name Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen
“Domiciliary account number: 0100010626667 bearing the name Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen.”
The investigator said investigations revealed that since 2005 when Onnoghen was appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court, he did not declare his assets until 2016 when he was appointed as the Chief Justice of Nigeria.
The statement added, “That in 2016 declarations, the five domiciliary accounts were omitted. We proceeded to request the account details from Standard Chartered Bank Limited.
“The bank undertook to provide us with the opening form and provided us with statements of accounts.
“Investigations have been concluded and the facts revealed indict the defendant and consequently the file has been forwarded to the department of legal services for further necessary action.”
The PUNCH had exclusively reported in September 2017 that the Federal Government was investigating the CJN for alleged corruption.
However, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had denied the report, insisting that Onnoghen was not under probe.
FG charges CJN with non-declaration of asset
The Federal Government, through the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), has charged the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen with non-declaration of assets.
In a six-count charge filed earlier this week by officials of the CCB at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in Abuja, Onnoghen was accused of failing to declare some assets allegedly traced to him, as required by law.
CCT’s spokesman, Ibraheem Al-Hassan, who confirmed the existence of the charge, said the tribunal has scheduled January 14 for arraignment.
Al-Hassan said the fixing of the date of arraignment was informed by an application filed on January 11 this year, by the CCB, seeking that the case be set down for hearing.
He said a copy of the charge has been served on the CJN as required. He was silent on when the silent on when service was effected.
Al-Hassan said, in a statement: “The Code of Conduct Tribunal has scheduled Monday, 14th of January for the commencement of trial in the charge the against current Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon Justce Onnoghen Nkanu Walter Samuel for alleged non declaration of asset.
“This was consequent upon an application filed by the Code of Conduct Bureau to the CCT Chairman yesterday (January 11) for the trial to commence against the Chief Justice of Nigeria on six count charges. However, service of summons has been effected on the dependant.
“The application was filed yesterday by the operatives of CCB, dated 11th January, 2019 and signed by Musa Ibrahim Usman (Esq) and Fatima Danjuma Ali (Esq), containing six counts charges, all bordering on non-declaration of asset.
“The three-man panel, led by Justice Danladi Y. Umar, will commence the trial on Monday, 14th January, 2019 at the CCT courtroom, situated at the headquarters, along Jabi Dakibiyu, Saloman Lar way, Abuja, at about 10:00am.”
Source: Punchng.com
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