CCT trial: Onnoghen faults prosecution documents

The embattled Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Walter Onnoghen, Monday faulted the documents stacked against him for prosecution at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, alleging they were in loose form, tampered with while some pages were omitted.

The faulted documents are the CCB asset declaration forms 001 of 2014 and 2015 respectively.

These observations were declared by the defence counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, following the presentation for confirmation of the documents for admission as exhibits by the tribunal.

Earlier led in evidence by the prosecution, Aliyu Umar, SAN, the witness, James Akpalla, Senior Investigation Officer of the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, narrated how the petition against Onnoghen emanated and extent of investigation done so far.

Akpalla said, “The petition against Onnoghen was written by Dennis Aghanya and was received in my office on January 9, by the Receiving Officer, Awwal Usman Yakassai.

“Then, on January 10, having examined the forms, the team wrote to the Standard Chartered Bank Ltd, requesting for the defendant’s statement of account, account opening document and certificate of identification. The bank responded.

“During examination, the team realised that the account opening package were incomplete. So, the team notified the account officer, Ifeoma Okagbue. She came on March 6, with the complete account opening package. And her statement was recorded.

Also, prosecution counsel Aliyu showed the documents to the witness for recognition and confirmation which he subsequently identified and admitted to be same before the court.

But when the defence counsel, Awomolo was shown the same documents, he took it to Onnoghen in the defendant box.

Onnoghen pointed out certain observations, which Awomolo declared before the court.

He said, “The forms have been tampered with somehow.

“Asset declaration forms have been tampered with in the sense that they are in loose form, mutilated and some pages are omitted.

“We have reservations but we shall address the tribunal later.”

Besides, Awomolo also challenged the documents from the Standard Chartered Bank, saying the Witness was not the appropriate person to tender the two bank statements because he was neither the maker nor signatory to the documents.

He added that it was the account officer Ifeoma Okagbue who has the right to tender such documents.

He also affirmed that the witness couldn’t be cross-examined on the said documents and that if he has any role, at all, it was to tender it and, nothing more.

Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, the Witness said, “I have no idea if CCB has central register for all submitted asset declaration forms from 1993 to date.”

It was at this juncture that the tribunal panel excused themselves to observe prayers.