UPDATE: Code of Conduct Tribunal raises panel to try CJN Onnoghen

Eniola Olayemi

Code of Conduct Tribunal has raised a panel to try Nigeria’s Chief Justice, Walter Onnoghen, who is accused of lying in his asset declaration.

The tribunal on Saturday announced that corruption charges had been raised against Mr. Onnoghen and the trial will commence on Monday.

The case is built on a petition filed by a civil society group, Anti-Corruption and Research Based Data Initiative.

The petition dated January 7, 2019, accuses Mr. Onnoghen of managing several accounts through which has been making transfers of local and foreign currencies in “a manner inconsistent with financial accuracy,” the petition signed by the group’s executive secretary, Denis Aghanya, said.

In its statement, the CCT said the trial “was consequent to application filed by the Code of Conduct Bureau to the CCT Chairman yesterday for the trial to commence against the Chief Justice of Nigeria on six count charges”.

“The application was filed yesterday by the operatives of CCB, dated 11st January, 2019 and signed by Musa Ibrahim Usman (Esq) and Fatima Danjuma Ali (Esq), containing 6 count charges all borders on non declaration of asset,” a statement signed by Ibraheem Al-Hassan, head of press and public relations of CCT, said.

A three-member panel led by Justice Danladi Umar will commence the trial on Monday at its courtroom, situated at the headquarter, along Jabi Daki Biyu, Saloman Lar way, Abuja, at about 10:00 a.m.