Appeal Court rules today Onnoghen

The Court of Appeal will today deliver judgment on the appeal filed by former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen.

The announcement was contained in a short statement issued yesterday by Sa’adatu Musa Kachalla, spokesperson of the court.

“Notice is hereby given. The Appeal filed by Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen is ripe for judgement, tomorrow morning in Abuja Division. Thank you for your usual cooperation,” Kachalla said.

The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) had convicted Onnoghen on six counts bordering on false assets declaration.

The tribunal ordered that he should be removed from office and banned him from holding public office for 10 years.

It also ordered the forfeiture of the money in the five accounts which the defendant failed to declare as part of his assets.

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However, he appealed the judgement based on 16 grounds.

“The onus was on the prosecution to prove that that the defendant did not declare and submit his assets declaration form to the Code of Conduct Bureau for over 11 years as charged,” Onnoghen said in his appeal.

He urged the appeal court to for an order declaring that the lower tribunal lacks jurisdiction to entertain the case.

Onnoghen is also asking the appeal court for an order declaring that the tribunal ought to have recuse itself from proceedings before it among others.