A non-governmental
organisation, Registered Trustees of the Mission for Peace and Development
Initiative, has dragged the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT,
Justice Danladi Umar, to court over an allegation that he demanded N10 million
bribe to quash criminal case against an accused person standing trial before
him.
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| Justice Umar |
The plaintiff in the suit
lodged before the Federal High Court in Abuja through Chief Mike Ozehkome, SAN
said it has documents showing that the CCT chairman, demanded a N10m bribe from
a retired Comptroller of Customs, Rasheed Taiwo, to terminate further hearing
on a case that was pending against him at the tribunal.
According to the group,
out of the total agreed bribe, Justice Umar, through his personal assistant,
one Gambo Abdullahi, received the sum of N1.8 million as initial deposit.
Among exhibits the group
attached to the suit included the photocopy of a cheque with which the N1.8m
was allegedly paid to Justice Umar through his proxy, a copy of the statement
the CCT chairman made before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, where he admitted having a private meeting with Taiwo in his office, as
well as the statement of his P.A Abdullahi.
Other documents the
plaintiff also adduced before the court were a copy of the application with
which Justice Umar was granted administrative bail by the anti-graft agency,
and a letter that was forwarded to former President Goodluck Jonathan by two
other members of the tribunal, Justices Robert Odu and W. Agwaza Atedze,
wherein they called for a thorough investigation into the bribery scandal so as
“to save the CCT from embarrassment”.
Specifically, the group,
is praying the high court for an order compelling Justice Umar to vacate his
position as the CCT chairman on the ground that he is not fit and proper to
superintend over the criminal prosecution of any Nigerian, with himself having
a criminal case hanging on his neck.
Joined as defendants in
the suit are: Justice Umar, the CCT, EFCC and the Attorney General of the
Federation
To further justify their
position that Justice Umar is not “morally and legally fit to try corruption
cases”, the group, tendered before the court, a recommendation by the erstwhile
AGF Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, while he was still in office, directing the EFCC
to prosecute the CCT boss over the said bribery allegation.
The recommendation
followed the report of the EFCC after its investigation into the petition that
was lodged against Justice Umar by the retired Comptroller of Customs, Taiwo.
Aside recommending Umar’s
prosecution, the then AGF, in a letter to former President Goodluck Jonathan,
dated May, 7, 2014, with reference number: HAGF/SH/2014/Vol./41, equally okayed
the removal of Justice Umar as the CCT chairman owing to the allegation of
corruption against him.
Adoke’s letter to
ex-President Jonathan read in part: “I am of the humble opinion that the
current state of affairs by which the tribunal is unable to sit while the
institution is increasingly diminished by the pall of suspicion, should not be
allowed to fester, as it will expose the institution to public ridicule and
undermine this administration’s efforts to combat corruption.
“In the light of the
foregoing therefore, Your Excellency may wish to initiate the necessary steps
for the removal of the chairman.”
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