The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Thursday directed the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to investigate a petition filed against the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, Mr. Danladi Umar.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator from Ebonyi State, Obinna Ogba had submitted the petition bordering on alleged corruption and abuse of office by the CCT Chairman.

The ethics committee is expected to submit its report to the Upper Chamber in two weeks.

However, the Senate President is equally facing a 13-count charge of alleged false asset declaration and corruption at the CCT and despite pending appeal at higher courts, the CCT chairman had continued his trial until Umar was stopped by the Supreme Court.

Presidency Unsure of What to Do

The Presidency has been reportedly in dilemma over what to do with the embattled Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Justice Danladi Umar, who has been embroiled in a N10 million bribery scandal, forcing the two other members of the tribunal to refuse sitting with him.

The two other judges of the CCT, Robert Odu rtd and Agwaza Atedze had in a joint letter to former President Goodluck Jonathan and copied to the EFCC, drew the attention of the government to the N10 million bribery allegation made against Umar, saying that the issue had brought serious embarrassment to them and the tribunal.

“May we with respect, draw His Excellency’s attention to the allegation of N10 million bribe made against Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar, current chairman of Code of Conduct Tribunal, Abuja, which is being investigated by the EFCC”, they reportedly said.

This allegation has been widely reported in the media, besides embarrassing comments from legal practitioners who have been calling to express their disappointment over the shocking development, although investigation is yet to be concluded.

“We, the two members of the CCT and the entire staff are embarrassed and saddened by this allegation because a tribunal set up to check corruption should not be accused of being corrupt. This would not be in keeping with the transformation agenda of the administration.

“We are mindful of the fact that the Federal Government has zero tolerance policy for corruption, and this is the reason for the establishment of the CCT as one of the agencies to fight corruption in all its ramifications.

“It is our prayer therefore that this allegation will be looked into so that the tribunal can start sitting in the interest of litigants and their counsel,” the two members said in the letter dated April 4, 2014.

Confusion is said to have become the lot of the Presidency as to whether to move against Umar based on the advice of the former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, to former President Jonathan, that Umar should be removed from office based on the scandal or to initiate a new probe of the bribery scandal.

Adoke was also said to have authorised the EFCC on June 25, 2014, to prosecute Umar and his PA based on the findings by the commission.

In the investigation carried out by the EFCC under its recently removed Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde, Umar was alleged to have demanded and collected the sum of N1.8 million from one Rasheed Taiwo, a former Deputy Comptroller General of Customs, who was arraigned at the CCT over false declaration of assets.

To pave the way for the prosecution, EFCC crack investigators swopped on Zenith Bank, through which Taiwo allegedly paid the first tranche of N1.8 out of the N10 million to Umar through his PA, Gambo Abdullahi, and retrieved the cheque number and details of the transactions.

The Zenith Bank cheque for the amount of N1.8 million was issued by Taiwo Rasheed Owolabi on December 12, 2012 from his Bourdillon Branch on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, and received the same day by Gambo Abdullahi in his Usuma Branch, Maitama Abuja.

According to Sunday Vanguard investigation, with the payment of the N1.8 million into Abdullahi’s account, his balance in that account rose to N1, 900, 448, 41. The money was promptly withdrawn the same day by the Abdullahi, who told EFCC investigators that he handed over the cash to Umar by hand.

EFCC’s findings showed that Umar used his telephone number, 08033367814 to communicate with Taiwo whose phone number with which he established constant communication with the CCT chairman was given as 08074455022.

Based on the findings, the former EFCC chairman, in a memo dated June 24, 2014, and addressed to the Attorney General of the Federation, Adoke, said that it was obvious from their findings that the CCT chairman might have collected the said amount of money from Taiwo.

The agency said however that it was unable to carry out forensic analysis of the telephone number of Umar, since he insisted that he had since lost that phone.

Lamorde said: “We write to bring to the attention of the Honourable Attorney General to the case which was reported by one Mr. Rasheed Taiwo (DCG Rtd) of 6 A Milverton Road, Lagos, against the chairman of CCT, Justice Danladi Umar and his Personal Assistant, Gambo Abdullahi in December 2012.

“Available circumstantial evidence suggests that the Tribunal Chairman might have indeed demanded and collected money from the complainant through his PA. Efforts made to recover the telephone handset used by Justice Umar have proved abortive, as he claimed that he lost the handset in 2012.

“This has made it impossible to subject it to independent scientific analysis with a view to corroborating the allegation.

Justice Umar also admitted that he met privately with the complainant in his chamber of the CCT. This has since been considered most unethical and highly suspicious conduct on his part.

“There is a preponderance of overwhelming evidence to however prosecute Gambo Abdullahi, who could offer no coherent excuse for receiving N1.8 million into his salary account from Taiwo, who is an accused person standing trial at the CCT.

“The full money has been recovered from him in May 2014 and aptly registered as exhibit. The fact that he made two contradictory statements on the reason he was paid the money, is clearly an attempt to cover the reason the money was paid to him,” Lamorde concluded.

EFCC did not Stop There

The commission promptly raised a two-count charge against Dandali Umar and Ali Gambo Abdullahi. The charge sheet sighted by Sunday Vanguard, was signed by Andrew Akoja, of the Legal and Prosecution Unit of the EFCC.

Count one: “That you Danladi Yakubu Umar and Ali Gambo Abdullahi, being public officers in the CCT, Abuja, on or about December 2012 in Abuja, within the Judicial Division of the Honourable Court, did engage in culpable conspiracy to obtain the sum of N10 million from one Rasheed Taiwo Owolabi for a favour to be shown to him in connection with the discharge of your official duties and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26 (1) (c) of the ICPC Act 2000 and punishable under Section 10 (a) (11) of the same Act.

Count two: “That you Danladi Yakubu Umar and Ali Gambo Abdullahi, being public officers in the CCT, Abuja, on or about December 2012 in Abuja, within the Judicial Division of the Honourable Court, did engage in culpable conspiracy to obtain the sum of N10 million from one Rasheed Taiwo Owolabi for a favour to be shown to him in connection with the discharge of your official duties and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26 (1) (c) of the ICPC Act 2000 and punishable under Section 10 (a) (11) of the same Act.

Findings, however, showed that although the case file for the two accused persons was prepared since June 2014, it was not clear why the EFCC later dropped Umar’s name from the charge sheet and took only his PA to court, where the matter is still pending.

The EFCC has remained silent on Umar till date.

Group Wants Umar Docked

Justice Danladi Umar, has been dragged before the Federal High Court in Abuja over an allegation that he demanded N10milion bribe to quash criminal case against an accused person before him.

The suit was lodged before the Court by a non governmental organisation under the platform of the Registered Trustees of the Mission for Peace and Development Initiative, through their lawyer, Chief Mike Ozehkome (SAN).

The plaintiff, said it has documents showing that the CCT chairman, demanded a N10m bribe from a retired Comptroller of Customs, Mr. Rasheed Taiwo, to terminate further hearing on a case that was pending against him at the tribunal.

According to the group, out of the total agreed bribe, Justice Umar, through his personal assistant, one Mr. Gambo Abdullahi, received the sum of N1.8million as initial deposit.

Among exhibits the group attached to the suit included the photocopy of a cheque with which the N1.8m was allegedly paid to Justice Umar through his proxy, a copy of the statement the CCT chairman made before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, where he admitted having a private meeting with Mr. Taiwo in his office, as well as the statement of his P.A Abdullahi.

Other documents the plaintiff also adduced before the court were a copy of the application with which Justice Umar was granted administrative bail by the anti-graft agency, and a letter that was forwarded to former President Goodluck Jonathan by two other members of the tribunal, Justices Robert Odu and W. Agwaza Atedze, wherein they called for a thorough investigation into the bribery scandal so as “to save the CCT from embarrassment”.

Specifically, the group, is praying the high court for an order compelling Justice Umar to vacate his position as the CCT chairman on the ground that he is not fit and proper to superintend over the criminal prosecution of any Nigerian, with himself having a criminal case hanging on his neck.

Joined as defendants in the suit were Justice Umar, the CCT, EFCC and the Attorney General of the Federation.

In a bid to further justify their position that Justice Umar is not “morally and legally fit to try corruption cases”, the group, tendered before the court, the recommendation by the erstwhile AGF Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, made while he was still in office, directing the EFCC to prosecute the CCT boss over the said bribery allegation.

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