N10m Bribery: Arraignment Of Umar, CCT Chairman, Stalled

The scheduled arraignment of Danladi Umar, the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, over an allegation of receiving N10 million from one Rasheed Owolabi Taiwo has been stalled.

The CCT chairman was supposed to be arraigned before the Chief Judge of High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Justice Ishaq Bello, yesterday  but it was learnt that the matter has been transferred to FCT High Court, Jabi.

It was reliably gathered that a new date for the arraignment would be fixed by the new Judge handling the case.

The charge marked CR/109/18 was filed on behalf of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by Festus Keyamo, SAN, at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.

But following the filing of the charge, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, was said to be embarrassed because the EFCC had on two occasions absolved the CCT chairman of any wrongdoing.

Consequently, he directed the EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Magu to explain why he instituted a 2-count criminal charge at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory against the chairman of Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Umar.

The query to Magu, which was signed by Dayo Apata, Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Justice Ministry.

Malami, also demanded an explanation from Festus Keyamo, SAN, on who briefed him to file the charge against the CCT chairman.