- pleads not guilty
The suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, on Friday, entered the dock to answer to charges of alleged breach of code of conduct for public officers.
Proceedings commenced at about 10.30am in the case involving him before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, in Abuja.
An official of the tribunal, who called the case, informed the tribunal that the defendant, Onnoghen, was in court.
Tribunal Chairman, Danladi Umar insisted that Onnghen, who had sat on the front seat by the left of the tribunal sitting venue, must enter the dock, a directive the suspended CJN obeyed and went straight into the dock.
Onnoghen rejected a chair given to him to sit on.
He insisted on standing and said he preferred to stand for now.
Upon the request by the prosecution, the tribunal Chairman ordered that the charge be read to the defendant.
An official of the tribunal read the charge to him, to which he pleaded not guilty.
His lawyer, Chris Uche, SAN, announced his presence shortly after the tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar led two other members to the courtroom.
Onnoghen remained standing while the prosecution and defence legal teams announced their appearance.
This is his first public appearance at tribunal since January 25 when President Muhammadu Buhari suspended him.
He is facing trial before the tribunal for alleged non-declaration of assets when he became the country’s top judge in 2016.
The tribunal chairman, Justice Danladi Umar had on Wednesday ordered the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu to arrest Onnoghen after failing to appear before the tribunal since the commencement of his trial in January.
“The Inspector General of Police is hereby ordered to arrest and bring the defendant unfailingly on the next sitting of the court on Friday,” Umar said.
He voluntarily arrived the Code of Conduct Tribunal at about 9.40am on Friday following the Wednesday’s order by the tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar, for his arrest.
Onnoghen who arrived in his official vehicle with tinted glass and covered numbered plates did not step out of the car until about 10.19am.
He entered the courtroom and was seated with two of his lawyers on each of his sides.
He was decked in a suit with an inner shirt and a yellow tie.
The three members of the tribunal arrived to begin sitting at about 10.34 am.
The Guardian/Punch/Nation
