John Ameh, Abuja
The Attorney-General of the Federation
and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, said on Tuesday that the
Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Justice Danladi Umar, had not
been prosecuted for alleged fraudulent practices owing to lack of
sufficient evidence.
Malami was speaking in respect of the
N44.5m fraud allegation levelled against Umar by a non-governmental
organisation, Anti-Corruption Network.
The AGF made the position of his office
known when he appeared before the House of Representatives, Committee on
Public Petitions in Abuja.
The committee, which is chaired by a
Peoples Democratic Party lawmaker from Abia State, Mr. Uzoma
Nkem-Abonta, was assigned the responsibility of investigating the
allegation by the House.
The AGF, who confirmed that his office
received the petition, explained that the first reaction was the
“presumption of innocence” until the CCT chairman was found guilty.
He argued that the presumption of innocence was a right guaranteed under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Malami disclosed that the matter was
referred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate
and submit its findings to his office.
He added that upon concluding its
investigation, the anti-graft agency turned in a report, which indicated
that the allegations by the Anti-Corruption network were based on “mere
suspicions.”
The minister added, “The facts as they
are show that the petition against Justice Umar was based on mere
suspicions, which are not sufficient to prosecute him.
“It, therefore, became difficult for any
prosecution because of lack of material facts, looking at the facts
provided by the EFCC.”
When the CCT chairman was asked whether
the allegations contained in the petition were true, Umar replied, “We
deny every single item in the petition as submitted by the petitioner.”
However, the Executive Secretary of the network, Mr. Ajulo Ajulo, insisted that Umar indeed committed the alleged acts.
Ajulo charged the House committee to
thoroughly investigate the allegations by calling for the original
copies of certain vital documents from the CCT.
“Mr. Chairman, they should provide the
original copy of their capital vote book; advance payment book; and
other vouchers from 2011 to date,”, he said.
When asked whether the network was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, Ajulo replied in the affirmative.
He was directed to forward the certificate of registration to the committee.
On his part, the committee asked the AGF
to provide further documents to prove that the EFCC conducted a though
investigation into the allegation.
This came as some members observed that
there were “several administrative errors” on the documents submitted by
the CCT in its defence of Umar.
The committee later adjourned the case.
Among the allegations in the network’s
petition to the House was that Umar paid N1m in July 2011 from the
coffers of the CCT to sponsor his own wedding.
Umar was also alleged to have spent N15.2m to purchase a Toyota Prado Jeep “without following due process.”
In March 2011, Umar was said to have awarded contracts for the supply of office furniture and fittings in the sum of N11.3m.
The contracts were reportedly executed by a “supposedly engineering company and not a furniture or supply company.”
He also allegedly paid N4. 2m for the “purchase of welfare items” in a contract executed by a private individual.
Another N4.2m for the procurement of external light bulbs was described by the petitioners as “entirely fictitious contract.”
Other figures listed against Umar by the petitioners ranged from N1.5m to N3.7m.
The document was signed by Ajulo.
A member from Taraba State, Mr. Rima
Shawulu, had laid the petition before the legislature on behalf of the
petitioner at a session presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara
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