The first prosecution witness in the trial of the Senate president, Mr. Michael Wetkas, has admitted before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) that he did not investigate the account of the Kwara government to ascertain his claim that Dr. Bukola Saraki, collected salaries for years after he had left office as the state governor in 2011.
The witness, who was asked by Saraki’s counsel, Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN), to clarify issues on count 16 of the charge against the Senate president, which alleged collection of salary till 2013, also told the tribunal that he did not have any discussion with Saraki throughout the period of investigation on the salary issue and asset matters before the Senate president was charged to court.
At the conclusion of the cross-examination of the witness yesterday, Usoro told the witness that he had relied solely on Saraki’s statement of bank account to arrive at his conclusion on the alleged salary issue.
He, however, said that the protracted cross-examination of the witness was not intended to buy time as perceived by the prosecution in previous sittings but rather necessitated by the complexity of the case.
Meanwhile, Umar Ibrahim, who stood in for the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), prayed the court to stand down the proceeding pending the arrival of the latter. The prayer was, however, turned down as Ibrahim could not give the specific time that the SAN would arrive at the tribunal.
The tribunal consequently adjourned further trial till January 11, 2017.
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