Nigerian Senate President Bukola Saraki sits in the accused box during a hearing of corruption charges against him at Code of Conduct tribunal in Abuja, on September 22, 2015. Nigerian Senate president Bukola Saraki pleaded not guilty to corruption charges at the country’s Code of Conduct tribunal, a day after an appeal court rejected his request to stop the trial. Saraki, who leads the upper chamber of parliament and is the third-highest politician in Nigeria after the president and vice-president, has been accused of making a false declaration of assets.Mr Nwachukwu Amazu, the Prosecution Witness 2, at the on-going false asset declaration trial, alleged that the Senate President, Dr Bukola Abubakar Saraki instructed the transfers of funds from his account in Guarantee Trust Bank, Ilorin branch to his USA foreign account while he was serving as governor of Kwara State.
Mr Amazu, who is head of Fund Transfer Unit of the Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB), made the disclosure today Tuesday in Abuja, at the on-going trial of the Senate President. He alleged, ‘‘the customer, Dr Saraki, with the address Government House, Ilorin gave an instruction to transfer $73, 223.28 to the beneficiary, American Express Services Europe Limited through their bank, America Express Bank of New York, for the funding of the amount utilised on Amex card issued to the customer (dollar credit card) No: 374588216836009’’.
The PW II added, ‘‘from his (Sarakis’s) pound sterling account at GTB to his Fortis Bank account in Landon, 761, 904. 76 pounds was transferred on the 15th February, 2010.
However, later at the cross examination, Mr Nwachukwu Amazu, told the court that he did not know much about the documents he testified earlier. He was led by Mr Paul Usoro (SAN), Counsel to Senate President Bukola Saraki.
Mr Amazu also admitted that there was no evidence to show that the defendant operated those accounts; this was apparently contrary to his earlier testimony that an operator of the credit card was not a bank.
Subsequently, the defence counsel, Paul Usoro sought the Tribunal Chairman Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar to grant him more time to study some of the submission made by PW II which was opposed by Mr Jacob. The Tribunal adjourned for tomorrow, Wednesday for the completion of the cross examination of the PW II.