The arraignment of the embattled Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his
Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu on criminal conspiracy and forgery of the Senate
Standing Rules in 2015 which has been slated for today in Abuja has
been stalled as court officials confirmed that the two presiding
officers of Senate have not been properly served with the charges.
The
two principal officers were to appear before a Federal Capital
Territory High Court in Abuja over alleged criminal conspiracy and
forgery of the Senate Standing Rules that brought them to office in
2015.
The Federal Government had, through the office of the
Attorney General filed the charges Saraki and Ekweremadu as well as
former Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa
and his deputy, Mr. Benedict Efeturi.
Saraki will, however,
appear today before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) where he is
standing trial for an alleged false declaration of assets.
Justice Yusuf Haliru of an Abuja High Court has said that the
arraignment of Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike
Ekweremadu, for alleged forgery of the Senate Standing rule in 2015,
will hold on Monday June 27th. Their arraignment was stalled this
morning because they had both not been served their court summons.
Justice Haliru has ordered that their court summons
be pasted on the notice board of the national assembly and also be sent
to them through other means.
Saraki, Ekweremadu, former Clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu
Abubakar Maikasuwa and his deputy, Benedict Efeturi are accused of
forging the senate standing rules which helped them emerge senate
leaders in June last year.
Count one of the charge reads:
“That you Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa, Benedict Efeturi, Dr. Olubukola
Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu on or about the 9th of June, 2015, at the
National Assembly Complex, Three Arm Zone, Abuja within the Jurisdiction
of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves, to forge the
Senate Standing Order, 2011 (as amended) and you thereby committed the
offence of Conspiracy, punishable under Section 97 (1) of the Penal Code
Law.”Count two reads: “That you Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa, Benedict Efeturi,
Dr. Olubukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu on or about the 9th of June,
2015, at the National Assembly Complex, Three Arm Zone, Abuja within the
Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with fraudulent intent forged
the Senate Standing Order 2011 (as amended) causing it to be believed as
the genuine Standing Order, 2015 and circulated same for use during the
inauguration of the 8th Senate of the National Assembly of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, when you knew that the said Order was not made in
compliance the procedure for amendment of the Senate Order, you thereby
committed an offence punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code
Law.”