When the chairman of the Code Of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, issued an arrest warrant for Saraki for false declaration of assets, it was the first time in Nigerian history that a sitting senate president will be so humiliated.
The 53-year old was accused of failing to declare some assets he acquired while in office as governor of Kwara state, acquiring assets beyond his legitimate earnings, and also accused of operating foreign accounts even as a state executive.
The Senate president has since denied the allegations. He went ahead to say that he declared his assets in 2007, 2011, and recently in 2015, and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) never wrote to complain of any inconsistencies.
Below are five possible punishments that will be melted out to Saraki as listed out by the CCB, if he is found guilty in the ongoing trial.
- Removal from office
- Vacation of official seat in the legislature, as the case may be
- Imposition of fine
- Disqualification from membership of the legislature and from holding of any public office for a period not exceeding 10 years
- Seizure and forfeiture of the state of any property (ies) acquired in abuse or corruption of office
The tribunal however posits that these punishments shall be without prejudice to the penalties that may be imposed by any law where the conduct in view is also a criminal offense.
Also, the law gives right of appeal, but sub-section 7 of the constitution states that the prerogative of mercy shall not apply to any punishment imposed by the CCT.
It is important to note that the punishments which the CCT imposed are not limited to those stated above. The constitution gives the National Assembly the power to prescribe more punishments and to give the CCB more power as it deems fit.