The Code of Conduct Tribunal has fixed Thursday, April 18, for judgment in the case of false declaration of assets instituted against former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.
The tribunal Chairman Danladi Umar fixed the date after the prosecution led by Mr. Aliyu Umar, SAN, and the defence led by Mr. Okon Efut, SAN, adopted their final addresses on Monday.
The defence, in their final arguments, had maintained that the prosecution failed to prove the six counts beyond reasonable doubt as required by law and urged the tribunal to dismiss the case.
Lead defence counsel, Efut, insisted that the statement made by Onnoghen to the Code of Conduct Bureau which the prosecution relied on, was not confessional as alleged by the prosecution.
He also held that the charges, were incompetent and unconstitutional as they were based on the provisions of the Code of Conduct Tribunal and Bureau Act which were in conflict with the relevant provisions of the Constitution.
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The prosecution on its part, argued that the defence team was attempting to redefine what constituted “proof beyond a reasonable doubt”.
He prayed the tribunal to hold that the prosecution did prove the case beyond reasonable doubt and “return a guilty verdict”.
While adjourning for judgment, the tribunal chairman said the tribunal would also deliver its rulings on two pending applications by Onnoghen.
One of the applications is challenging the jurisdiction of the tribunal to hear the case while the other is asking the CCT chairman to disqualify himself from further presiding over the case for being allegedly bias.
Recall that Justice Onnoghen was suspended by President Muhammadu Buhari on January 25, 2019, on the orders of the Code of Conduct Tribunal and he reportedly resigned on April 4, after the National Judicial Commission, NJC, which had investigated him, recommended his immediate retirement.
