The tribunal’s 13-count charge accuses Mr. Saraki, among other crimes, of improperly using state funds to purchase private assets during his tenure as the governor of Kwara State while he was senator of the federal republic of Nigeria.
The Senate President was also accused of declaring as part of his assets a property that had not been sold to him, a maneuver that is known as “anticipatory looting” in Nigeria’s political lexicon.
The Code of Conduct Tribunal has never convicted any Nigerian official for false declaration of assets.
Mr. Saraki’s wife, Toyin Saraki, is being investigated for money laundering by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), but charges are yet to be filed against her by the agency.
Sen. Saraki has been embattled ever since his emergence as the Senate Presidency, with many anti-corruption activists and groups viewing him as an impediment to any efforts to combat corruption in Nigeria.
Source: Bloom Gist and Agencies
