Friday 22 April 2016

Saraki's trial: Drama as judge loses temper in court room

Saraki's trial: Drama as judge
loses temper in court room
– One of Bukola Saraki’s lawyer, Raphael
Oluyede got Danladi Umar, the presiding
judge at the CCT, angry
– Oluyede brought up an application by
Saraki asking Umar to withdraw from his
trial
– The CCT chairman asked that the lawyer
be arrested
Justice Danladi Umar, the presiding judge at
the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on
Thursday, April 21, lost his temper at the
court.
This happened after one of the lawyers on
the Bukola Saraki’s trial, Raphael Oluyede,
announced the motion he filed against the
judge through the Senate president.
The application filed on Wednesday, April 20,
seeks for Umar to withdraw from the case
based on his alleged cases with the
Economic Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC).
When Oloyede was about to commence the
body of the motion, Rotimi Jacobs, the
counsel to the federal government said the
business of the day is to cross examine the
witness, Michael Wetkas, therefore the
motion should not be presented.
“ He was never in this case and the time he
filed this motion he had never appeared on
this case,” he said.
He quoted section 349 of the constitution
which states that a legal practitioner under a
matter is bound to engage in any case
unless he is allowed to by the lead counsel.
Jacobs said because he is not a counsel on
the matter, he will not accept the motion.
He said it’s not ripe for hearing but an
affidavit needs to be filed for it.
But Umar while addressing the issue
dismissed the motion.
“ This motion being filed by a mere busy body
legal practitioner cannot be accepted. He was
the lawyer who sued the judge that he has not
been cleared by the EFCC.
“You are supposed to be leading by example.
How can you allow such rubbish thing to
happen.
“You are granting him an opportunity to
address the tribunal not as a counsel to the
defendant.
“That motion as far as the court is concerned,
that file is thrown away. It is so shameful and
unfortunate,” he said.
Adebayo Adelodun, one of the counsels who
stood up in defense of Oloyede said that it
was the right of the lawyer to file a motion
no matter how unserious it seems and it is
in his power to dismiss it.




 Nigerian
Senate announces its position
In anger, Oloyede stood up to defend himself
saying, “ I am a counsel in this matter. There
are too many clouded things with you and the
EFCC that’s why you are doing this.”
Thereafter, Umar asked that the lawyer be
arrested, but was settled and agreed to
commence with the trial.
Saraki has been charged to court since
September 22, 2015, over 13 counts of
corruption bordered on corruption.
Watch the video from YouTube

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