A three-member panel of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) led by Mr. Danladi Umar has subpoenaed a director at the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Mrs. Nwafor to appear before it on April 3, 2019 in connection with the trial of the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mr. Walter Onnoghen.
At the resumed trial on Monday, Onnoghen’s counsel, Mr. Mr. Adegboyega Awomolo informed the tribunal about an application seeking for the tribunal’s order to compel Nwafor, who is said to be based in Benin, Edo State to come and testify.
Counsel for the prosecution, Mr. Aliyu Umar, however did not object to the application to issue the subpoena.
Consequently, the three-man tribunal led by granted the application and ordered Nwafor appear before it 10am on Wednesday.
Also on Monday, Onnoghen called one of his first three witnesses, Mr. Lawal Busari, who tendered receipt of Onnoghen’s 2010 Asset Declaration Form.
In his evidence-in-chief, Busari, Onnoghen’s chief driver who was led in evidence by Awomolo, gave detailed information on how he and the suspended chief justice went to Asokoro in Abuja, sometime in 2010 to obtain his (Onnoghen) assets declaration form.
He recalled that Onnoghen had on that occasion asked him (Busari) if he had obtained his own asset declaration form and encouraged him to do so.
He added that Onnoghen later gave him N200 to pay for both forms and receipts issued to them as evidence of payment for the forms.
When Awomolo sought to tender the receipt as evidence, the prosecution counsel objected on the grounds that he was not the maker.
However, following arguments that the document was relevant, the tribunal accordingly admitted the document as exhibit.
The witness further confirmed that he and Onnoghen filled their respective forms and returned to the CCB, while he (Busari) went on a later date to get the acknowledgement receipts for the forms.
Under cross examination by the prosecution counsel, Busari, who claimed that he had been with Onnoghen since 1999, said he did not accompany Onnoghen to the CCB in 2005.
The witness was thereafter discharged from the witness box and the tribunal then adjourned till Wednesday, April 3 for continuation of trial.
