LAGOS, Federal Republic of Nigeria. In what could be described as a deepening of the crisis of confidence in the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), it emerged at the weekend that Mr. Ali Abdullai Gambo, the Personal Assistant of the Tribunal’s chairman, Danladi Umar, was arraigned before an FCT High Court in July by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges of conspiracy, bribery and abuse of office.
Umar last Friday commenced the trial of the Senate President Bukola Saraki for alleged false declaration of assets and ordered the Inspector General of Police to arrest the Senate President and bring him before the tribunal on Monday for failing to appear during the Friday trial.
Gambo’s arrest and arraignment in July was sequel to a petition by a retired Comptroller of Customs, Rasheed Taiwo, who was being prosecuted at the tribunal for allegedly failing to declare his assets as statutorily required while in office.
The petitioner had alleged that Umar allegedly demanded a N10 million bribe from him, of which he had made a part payment of N1.8m into the account of Gambo, his PA.
Media reports on the arraignment had claimed that EFCC alleged that Gambo, sometime in August, 2013 in Abuja, made a confessional statement to investigators confirming that the petitioner actually paid the money into his account in one of the new generation banks on December, 12, 2012.
Gambo was reported to have claimed that though the money was paid into his account, it was given to him by the petitioner to help him offset his (Gambo’s) father’s medical bills.
Not satisfied with his explanation as its raised questions on why an official of a prosecuting tribunal would receive financial support from an accused being prosecuted, EFCC consequently arraigned him before an FCT High court on charges of conspiracy, bribery and abuse of office.
Though, the PA is facing trial, there was no evidence that he collected the money on behalf of Justice Umar nor was the judge being tried, even though he was interviewed by the EFCC and granted administrative bail.
Gambo is currently on bail while the case had yet to be decided.
Credit: ThisDay (Nigeria)
