23:24:00
Indications
from the prosecution in the case brought against Senate President, Dr.
Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), showed that the
charges preferred against him might be amended.
Of the 13 count
charges, it was learnt that two, counts 11 and 12, which relate to
operating foreign accounts as a public officer contrary to the provision
of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, may be dropped
entirely following development from investigations by the security
agency involved.
This, The Guardian
gathered, was sequel to what sources described as "doubts" on the part
of the Federal Government raised by a realisation by the authorities
that instead of being accounts, the numbers quoted in the charges were
that of credit cards which were not operated based on ownership of a
bank account.
In particular, it
was discovered that the American Express Services Europe Limited was
different from the American Express Bank and that while the latter was a
money deposit full-fledged commercial bank, the former was a
credit/debit card services operating company.
Besides, it was
noted that its services cannot be said to have violated the provision of
the Paragraph 3 of Part 1, Fifth Schedule to the Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As amended) and Section 7 of the Code
of Conduct of Bureau and Tribunal Act.
Meanwhile, sources
claimed that the prosecution may have been aware of the new development
after an attempt to clarify the true position of things with the
American Express Card Services Limited which response indicated that the
charges cannot be sustained during trial.
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