FG arraigns CJN, Onnoghen, over alleged non-declaration of asset

The Chief Justice of Nigeria(cjn),justice Walter Nkanu Onnoghen, will on Monday appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) over charges bordering on non-declaration of asset.

This is contained in a statement by the Head, Press & Public Relations, Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Ibraheem Al-hassan, Saturday.

The statement said that the arraignment of Onneghen followed an application by the Code of Conduct Bureau for leave to commence the case.

He said the application was filed on Friday and summons for the Monday’s proceedings had been served on the CJN.

All the six counts preferred against the CJN are said to border on nondeclaration of assets.

The CCT’S statement read in part: “The Code of Conduct Tribunal has scheduled Monday, January 14, 2019 for the commencement of trial against current Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justce Onnoghen Nkanu Walter Samuel for alleged non-declaration of assets.

“This was consequent to an application filed by the Code of Conduct Bureau to the CCT Chairman yesterday (Friday) for the trial to commence against the Chief Justice of Nigeria on six charges.

“However,serviceofsummons has been effected to the defendant. The threeman panel led by Justice Danladi Y. Umar, will commence the trial on Monday, January 14, 2019 at its courtroom, situated at the headquarters, along Jabi Daki Biyu, Saloman Lar way, Abuja, at 10:00am.

“The application was filed yesterday by the operatives of CCB, dated January 11, 2019 and signed by Musa Ibrahim Usman (Esq) and Fatima Danjuma Ali (Esq), containing six charges all borderingonnon-declaration of assets”

A lawyer and investigator attached to the Code of Conduct Bureau, Usman Mohammed,saidonnoghen failed to declare his dollar, pounds and euro accounts when he was elevated to the Supreme Court.

In his statement, which has been attached to the charge sheet, the witness said investigations began after a Non-governmental Organisation, Anti-corruption and Research Based Data Initiative wrote a petition against the CJN.

The statement of the witness reads in part: “That the respondent (Onnoghen) also operates three domiciliaryandtwonairaaccounts with Standard Chartered Bank Limited with the following particulars.

“Domiciliary account number: 870001062650 bearing the name Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen.

“Domiciliary account number: 9300106268bearing the name Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen

“Domiciliary account number: 285001062679 bearing the name Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen

“Domiciliary account number: 5001062683 bearing the name Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen

“Domiciliary account number: 0100010626667 bearing the name Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen.”

The investigator said investigations revealed that since 2005 when Onnoghen was appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court, he did not declare his assets until 2016whenhewasappointed as the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

The statement added: “That in 2016 declarations, the five domiciliary accounts were omitted. We proceeded to request the account details from Standard Chartered Bank Limited.

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