Tribunal Bars Onnoghen From Holding Public Office For 10 Years And Monies In His Five Accounts Confiscated

Onnoghen

By Unini Chioma - Apr 18, 2019

The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) has convicted Walter Onnoghen, suspended chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), for false asset declaration.

Danladi Umar, CCT chairman, found him guilty of the six counts preferred against him by the federal government.

The CCT chairman ordered that Onnoghen be removed from office of CJN and banned from holding public office for 10 years.



He also ordered that the money in the five bank accounts of Onnoghen that he did not declare be confiscated seized and forfeited to the FGN.

The tribunal held that it is crystal clear that the money was acquired illegally since he has failed to prove how he got them.

The tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar, while giving judgement in the case on Thursday, held that the prosecution had proven the case beyond reasonable doubt.

Developing story
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1: 44: Breaking: Walter Onnoghen was also banned from office for 10 years and the money in his five accounts confiscated

1: 42 pm: CCT finds Justice Walter Onnoghen guilty of the contravention of the provision of code of conduct of public officers. He is threfore removed as the Chief justice of Nigeria and chairman of the NJC.

1:38 PM: The chairman of Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Umar, who is reading the lead judgment, has identified the following as the exhibits tendered by the prosecution against Justice Walter Onnoghen.
The petition written by the Executive Director, Anti-Corruption and Research-Based Data Initiative, Mr. Dennis Aghanya
Forms CCB 1 submitted by Onmoghen to the Code of Conduct Bureau.
Account opening package of Onnoghen’s five accounts with the Standard Chattered Bank.
Statements of the five bank accounts.

12:27pm Tribunal also held that all judges of courts of superior records are appointed by the President, and that does not mean that they are under the president.

* CCT dismisses Onnoghen’s prelim suit challenging its jurisdiction

The CCT has dismissed the preliminary objection filed by Justice Onnoghen to challenging the jurisdiction of the tribunal.

The CCT has also dismissed the application by the former CJN accusing the tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar, to withdraw from further presiding over the trial on the grounds of bias.

The tribunal is now delivering judgment on the merit of the five counts.

12: 50pm: Tribunal held that the Chairman can not recuse himself from the trial, as its finds him competent. Tribunal also held that all judges of courts of superior records are appointed by the President, that does not mean that they are under the president.

12: 30 pm: Tribunal upholds its Jurisdiction, stating that the defendant is not being charged as a judicial officer but as a public officer.

Chairman of the tribunal held that the constitutional powers of the Code of Conduct Bureau shall not be subject to any body of the NJC.

12: 20pm: Chairman of the code of conduct tribunal arrives, tribunal set to deliver judgment.