CCT Tampered With My Asset Declaration Form – Saraki

The Senate president, Senator Bukola Saraki, has alleged before the Code of Conduct Tribunal sitting in Abuja that his assets declaration form of 2003 had been tampered with.He told the tribunal that, that was why the original copy of the form was not presented before the tribunal.Saraki is standing trial over alleged false assets declaration while he was the governor of Kwara State.During the proceedings yesterday, counsel to Saraki, Paul Erokoro, SAN, made the allegation while cross examining the prosecution witness, Micheal Wetkas.While under cross examination, Wetkas was asked whether he saw the original copy of Exhibit 1 (Saraki’s assets declaration form)‎ in the cause of investigation, he (Wetkas) initially stated that he never saw the original copy but on a second thought he reversed himself and said he sighted the form from one Samuel Majemu of the CCB.When asked why the original copy of the form was not brought before the tribunal, Wetkas stated that he always worked with the Certified True Copy furnished by the CCB because it was a replica of the original and it served the same purpose.It was at that point that Erokoro submitted that “whoever is prosecuting the defendantis hiding something, by not bringing the original copy before this tribunal. If it is important for the investigative team to see the original, then why is it not important forthe tribunal to see it?”Wetkas, however, denied the allegation, saying it was the form filled and signed by Saraki before a competent Judge.When the witness was asked if he was aware that the assets declaration form submitted by the defendant in 2003 was tampered with since it contained some entries of properties that were not put on sale by the federal government until 2006,Wetkas said, “As far as I am concerned, Exhibit One was signed by the defendant, himself, on September 16, 2003.”Also, when asked if he inserted ‘No. 15a and b McDonald Street, Ikoyi’, he denied.When also asked if he knew who did it, the witness stated that the Code of Conduct Bureau was a responsible organisation and would not do such a thing.Still under cross examination, the witness admitted that the defendant was worth$22m, £12m, €2.6m and N4bn in cash, movable and landed assets before he became governor of Kwara State in 2003 as contained in his assets declaration form of 2003.Erokoro, however, led Wetkas in reading from the assets declaration form which Saraki submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau on assumption of office as governor in 2003.Eroloro submitted that he needed to take Wetkas through the form to debunk the impression created by the witness earlier in his evidence-in-chief that Saraki would not have been able to buy property without obtaining a bank loan.Wetkas confirmed that there were 16 vehicles which were cumulatively worth N263.4m.The vehicles are Mercedes Benz S320 valued at N16m; Mercedes S500, N20m; Mercedes G500, N6m; Mercedes V220, N2m; Ferrari 456GT, N25m; Navigator, N15m; Mercedes MN240, N8.5m and Peugeot 405, N2.9m.Other vehicles include Mercedes CLK 320, N9m; Mercedes E320, N11m; Mercedes G500 bullet-proof, N45m; Mercedes S500, N30m; Lexus jeep bullet-proof, N30m; Lincoln Navigator bullet-proof, N25m.“By my calculation, the total worth is N263, 400, 000,” Wetkas said.He also confirmed that Saraki’s landed property was worth between N2.5bn and N3.5bn, while his cash worth is about N50m.He said that the total assets declared by Saraki, including those of his wife and his two children under 18 in 2003, were worth$22m, £12m, €2.6m and N4bn.The tribunal adjourned till today for continuation of hearing.