The trial of the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria , Justice Walter Onnoghen , on charges of non -declaration and false declaration of charges , started on Monday , with the tribunal admitting first set of exhibits .
The exhibits tendered by the prosecution led by Mr . Aliyu Umar ( SAN ) , were the petition written by a civil society group and which informed the six counts preferred against the suspended CJN and two assets declaration forms ( Forms CCB 1) submitted by the defendant in 2014 and 2015.
Umar tendered the documents as exhibits after a brief introductory testimony of the prosecution’ s first witness , Mr . James Apala , a Senior Investigation Officer with the Code of Conduct Bureau .
The petition dated January 7, 2019, was sent to the Code of Bureau by Anti- Corruption and Research -Based Data Initiative and was admitted by the three -man bench of the CCT as Exhibit 1 without any objection from the defence .
Although the defence led by Chief Adegboyega Awomolo ( SAN ) , did not object to the assets declaration forms , he noted that the forms were “in loose form and appeared to be tampered with ”, adding that he would address the issues at the final address stage .
Ruling , the tribunal chairman , Danladi Umar, admitted the forms as exhibits with a caveat that the defence would have the right to address the issue in their final address .
Earlier, Apala while being led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel , had said , “On January 9, 2019, I was in my office at the Code of Conduct Bureau that morning when I received a call from my superior , Samuel Madojemu , who happens to be a member of the ( investigation ) team .
“He directed that I investigate a petition .
“Having done the required processes – routine investigation – case file was opened and investigation plan was drawn.
“The petition was authored by Chief Dennis Aghanya of the Anti -Corruption and Research -Based Data Initiative , alleging breach of Code of Conduct for Public Officers, including non -declaration of assets and false declaration of assets , against the Hon. Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen , GCON , the Chief Justice of Nigeria .
“ Thereafter, the team wrote to the Federal Political Officers Unit ( of the bureau ) , Asokoro , requesting the defendant ’s asset declarations received from 2000 to 2009.
“The department responded . The two asset declaration forms were examined and filed in the case file .”

www.exloaded.com/2019/03/18/cct-admits-petition-onnoghens-assets-declaration-forms-as-exhibits/