By ONNOGHEN: SUSPENDED CJN OUTCRIES ALTERATION OF ASSET DECLARATION FORMS
Embattled and suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen yesterday told the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, sitting in Abuja that his asset declaration forms submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, has changed form and suspected alteration.
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BlackBox Nigeria gathered that Onnoghen from a report by Vangaurd newspapers insisted at his resumed trial that the Form 001 he filled in 2014 and 2015, were no longer the way he submitted them, to the CCB, questioning why the hitherto bound documents appeared according to him “in loose form” before the tribunal, alleging that it was tampered with, with some of the pages missing.
However, a senior investigative officer at the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, Mr. James Akpala, yesterday, admitted that the charge against Onnoghen was filed before his team concluded investigation on the allegation that he falsely declared his assets.
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Akpala, the star prosecution witness, testified before the CCT, where the embattled CJN is answering to a six-count charge that preferred against him by the Federal Government.
Aside allegation that he failed to declare his assets as prescribed by the law, the Federal Government had in the charge, alleged that Onnoghen operated five foreign bank accounts, contrary to Section 15(2) of Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.
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The Federal Government had insisted that it was the CCB that okayed Onnoghen’s trial based on certain infractions discovered in his asset declaration forms.
Meanwhile, before the asset declaration forms were admitted, Onnoghen, through his lawyer, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, alleged that it was tampered with. Awomolo said he would raise his client’s objection to the admissibility of the documents, in his final written address.
Onnoghen in his objection, queried the validity of the six-count charge against him, contending that FG failed to respect established judicial precedents by not allowing the NJC to firstly investigate the allegation against him, before it rushed the matter to the CCT.
He argued that failure to channel the petition against him, as well as the outcome of the investigation that was purportedly conducted on assets declaration forms he submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, to the NJC, rendered the charge invalid.
