The suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, on Friday accused the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) of not following its set Standard Operation Procedures in instituting the case against him.
Onnoghen, through his Counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, also the prosecution for disregarding code of conduct bureau set out rules before filling case on the defendant.
He said that it was illegal and unconstitutional for the prosecution not comply with rules by investigating the allegation before filling case.
The suspended CJN added that what the prosecution filed, were mainly hearsay devoid of the true position of the issue in the assest declaration
He said the allegation on him, were documentary hearsay which is not admisible and should be expunge
NAN reports that Onnoghen is arraigned at the CCB following a charge against him brought by the Code of Conduct Bureau in January.
The CCB accused Onnoghen of failing to declare his assets from June 2005, after he became a Justice of the Supreme Court till December 2016, two months after the Federal Government raided the homes of several judges, including those of the Supreme Court in October 2018.
According to the six-count charge brought against him, Mr Onnoghen is also accused of false declaration of his assets, following his alleged failure to include some domiciliary accounts managed by the Standard Chartered Bank.
The accounts, created in 2011 and used for the transfer of foreign currencies, were omitted in one of two forms filled on December 14, 2016, by Mr Onnoghen.
According to section 3(d) of the CCB act, the Bureau is empowered to receive complaints about cases of non-compliance with or breach of the act.
The section also empowers the CCB to refer such non-compliance to the CCT where the public officers accused of the alleged breach, will be tried according to the provisions of the act.
NAN reports that the prosecution team led by Aliu Umar, presented three witnesses before closing its case on March 21
