CCT dismisses Onnoghen’s ‘no-case’ submission

Nigeria’s Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) has dismissed a no-case application brought before it by Walter Onnoghen, the suspended chief justice of Nigeria (CJN).

The suspended CJN had earlier on Friday asked that the charges of false asset declaration against him should be dismissed.

The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) did not to follow its standard operations procedure in raising the charges, he further argued.

In spite of the pleas, Danladi Umar, chairman of the CCT, maintained that Onnoghen must enter his defence on Monday, April 1.

A three-member panel of the tribunal led by Danladi held that the prosecution has provided the CCT with sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case against the defendant to warrant his being called to enter his defence.

The tribunal also made reference to a confessional statement issued by the defendant in which he admitted omitting to declare the five domiciliary accounts he has been operating in Standard Chartered Bank since 20009.

Umar said the confessional statement was enough to warrant the tribunal to ask the defendant to enter his defence if he has any.

This led to the rejection of the no-case submission as Umar directed the defendant to enter a defence against the six-count charge of non-declaration of assets brought against him by the CBB.

The federal government started proceedings against Onnoghen over alleged failure to declare his assets in line with the provisions of the law for public officers in January.