Mr Samuel Madojemu, Director of Monitoring and Investigation at the Code of Conduct Bureau, told the Code of Conduct Tribunal that the trial of the Senate President was instigated outside the bureau.
Modojume said this on Thursday before the two-member tribunal led by its Chairman, Umar Danjuma while testifying in the trial of Bukola Saraki.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Saraki is standing trial on allegations of false asset declaration and Money Laundering while serving as governor of Kwara.
He said the bureau had perfected its duties of ensuring that Saraki filled all the relevant asset declaration forms from when he was a governor up to when became a Senator.
According to him, the trial of the senate president is spurred by some infractions the EFCC discovered in some of the asset declaration forms belonging to the defendant.
He said the anti-corruption body had demanded to investigate the defendant’s asset declaration.
Madojume said there was no petition or complaint of false asset declaration against the Senate President brought to the attention of the bureau and so his assets forms were not subjected to probe by the CCB.
Madojume, however, said the EFCC upon the conclusion of its investigation had invited the bureau to vet all the infractions spotted in the documents.
“It was at that point that we also discovered that some landed properties belonging to the defendant in Lagos were not captured.
“The bureau however, has the option of inviting Saraki to address the anomaly or approach the court, but it chose to prosecute him for his failure to tell the truth.
“The issue of CCB inviting persons for clarification on submitted forms is purely discretional to the Chairman of the bureau.
“In the instant case, the Chairman of the CCB did not consider it necessary to invite Saraki before he was charged before the tribunal,’’ he said.
Answering questions while under cross examination by Saraki lead Counsel Mr Kanu Agabi (SAN), the witness said the defendant’s trial was at the instance of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the EFCC.
He, however, said that he was not present when the AGF briefed the CCB boss on the need for the senate president’s trial.
The witness, however, said he was later briefed by the CCB Chairman after his meeting with the AGF on the subject matter.
The Chairman of the tribunal adjourned proceedings until March 21 and March 22 for continuation of the cross examination. (NAN)
OMO/YAZ