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Why Saraki’s Trial Can’t Be Stopped – Buhari Govt

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Saraki
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The Federal Government has backed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) latest probe of Senate President Bukola Saraki.

The office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, stated this while responding to the fundamental right enforcement suit filed by Saraki to stop his probe by the EFCC.

The Senate President had in the suit before Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja contended that the interim seizure of his houses by the EFCC, as part of an ongoing criminal investigation, was a violation of his rights.

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The former Kwara governor maintained that the investigation was on the same subject for which he had been previously tried and exonerated.

Responding in counter-affidavit, Malami’s office noted that the acquittal of Saraki in previous criminal cases, including the one instituted against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, could not stop him from being charged with another offence.

AGF office stated, “That the suit FHC/ABJ/CS/152/2014 referred to by the applicant is premised on non-declaration of assets and the trial was conducted in the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

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“That he knows as a fact by virtue of his training as a legal practitioner that a previous trial in the Code of Conduct Tribunal does not preclude further criminal trial in a competent court of law.”

On Saraki’s complaint of being a subject of persecution, the AGF office denied being part of any plot by the EFCC or any of the respondents to carry out any act of a witch-hunt, vendetta, revenge or persecution against Saraki on the whims of the All Progressives Congress.

It added that the discretion to initiate a criminal investigation against any person was a constitutional power of the second to the sixth respondents.

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Justice Taiwo has fixed June 24 for the hearing.