HeadlineBREAKING: Senate Stops Probe Of Assault By Tribunal Chairman, As Victim’s Lawyer...

BREAKING: Senate Stops Probe Of Assault By Tribunal Chairman, As Victim’s Lawyer Kicks

Ask ZiVA 728x90 Ads

July 27, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday at the fifth session of its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, withdrew from investigating allegations of assault levelled against the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar by one Clement Sargwak.

The decision, according to the Committee’s Chairman, Senator Ayo Akinyelure, is on account of litigations filed by Umar.

The CCB Chairman, Umar, had sued the Senate and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, asking the court to restrain both parties from investigating the case of alleged assault levelled against him.

Glo

Reacting to the position of the Senate panel, lawyer to the petitioner, Timizing Venyir Ramnap, condemned the decision of the Senate committee to step aside from the investigation.

Ramnap, in his brief submissions before the committee’s ruling, said the purported originating summons from the Federal High Court Abuja forwarded to the committee by counsel to the accused, were mere court processes and not declarative orders.

He said: “Courts have procedures of doing things. The present document before this Committee as read out by the Chairman is not an order from any court but a mere court process served on the Senate.

“Were it to be valid order from the court of competent jurisdiction, Senate may back out, but since it is not, the Senate through this Committee still have its constitutional powers on the case and can forge ahead with the investigation.

“We hereby wish to submit that the Senate do look at its position as contained in law by rejecting this temptation.”

But the Committee Chairman quickly responded that it is not a temptation but an effort being made by somebody to circumvent it, which will be challenged in the court.

He said: “We have submitted all the originating summons to the leadership of the Senate, Clerk to the National Assembly, Clerk of the Senate and the Legal Department of the National Assembly.

“All the issues raised by the respondent who has turned himself to a Plaintiff now will be challenged in the court because investigation on the alleged assault started here before the CCT Chairman ran to court.

“Rest assured that the matter will not die like that but we have to stop investigation for now, pending the outcome of consultations we are seeking for from relevant authorities and in particular the counteroffensive being made against the CCT Chairman in the court of law.

“This is a clear case of circumventing the constitutional powers of the Senate after submitting himself to us for investigation and begging for time to study the allegations made against him.

“He appeared at the first sitting, sought for a week to study allegations of assault levelled against him. We gave him three weeks for that. Thereafter, at the second, third sessions he sent representatives that he couldn’t come due to ill health, only for him to inform us through his lawyers at the fourth sitting two weeks ago (July 13, 2021), that he was already in court.

“Here today, neither he nor any of his representatives is here which will make us stop the entire process for now because we can’t write a report on the investigation by hearing from only one side.

” We hereby step this investigation aside Sine die.”

About the Author

Recent Posts

More like this
Related