EFCC files fraud charge against CCT chairman

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed a two-count charge of fraud against Danladi Umar, chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

In the charge sheet seen by TheCable, the anti-graft agency alleged that in 2012, Umar demanded a bribe of N10 million from one Rasheed Taiwo who had a case at the tribunal.

Festus Keyamo, senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), filed the suit at the high court of the federal capital territory (FCT) on behalf of the EFCC.

Count 1 read: “That you, DANLADI YAKUBU UMAR, being the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal and presiding over a case with Charge No. CCT/ABJ/03/12, involving one Rasheed Owolabi Taiwo, sometime in 2012, at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did ask for the sum of N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira) from the said Rasheed Owolabi Taiwo, for a favour to be afterwards shown to him in relation to the pending Charge (No. CCT/ABJ/03/12) in discharge of your official duties and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 12(1)(a) & (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2003.

The charge sheet

Count 2 read: “That you, DANLADI YAKUBU UMAR, being the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal and presiding over a case with Charge No. CCT/ABJ/03/12, involving one Rasheed Owolabi Taiwo, sometime in 2012, at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did receive the sum of N1,800,000.00 (One Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira) from the said Rasheed Owolabi Taiwo, through your Personal Assistant by name Alhaji Gambo Abdullahi, for a favour to be afterwards shown to him in relation to the pending Charge (No. CCT/ABJ/03/12) in discharge of your official duties and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 12(1)(a) & (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act.”

Former President Goodluck Jonathan appointed Umar after he was recommended by the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Federal Judicial Service Commission.

On September 18, 2015, Umar made history by becoming the first judge in the country to issue an arrest warrant against a sitting senate president.

He had ordered the arrest of Senate President Bukola Saraki who failed to appear before the tribunal in the trial of alleged false declaration of assets.

The tribunal eventually discharged and acquitted Saraki.