FG’s Prosecution Committee to Review Saraki’s Forgery Case

FG’s Prosecution Committee to Review Saraki’s Forgery Case

The federal government’s prosecution committee will on Monday meet to review the forgery case of Senate President Bukola Saraki which was recently withdrawn from the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The National Prosecution Coordination Committee headed by the Attorney-General of the Federation is to consider the facts and circumstances that led to the withdrawal of the charges against Saraki and his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu.

The federal government on Friday withdrew the two counts of forgery it instituted on June 10, 2016, against Saraki and Ekweremadu, along with a former Clerk to the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa, and his deputy, Benedict Efeturi.

The decision on the next line of action is expected to be taken at the end of the meeting of the prosecution committee today.

The meeting was initially scheduled to hold at the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions shortly after the charges were withdrawn on Friday, but the time was too short to mobilise every person who needed to partake in the meeting.

Punch reports that the committee has summoned the lawyers handling Saraki’s case, led by a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Kano State, Mr. Aliyu Umar (SAN), to its meeting on Monday. The Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Umar Mohammed, will also be in attendance.

There are indications that the committee is looking to get more evidence and re-file the case against all or some of the discharged defendants, depending on the available evidence.

It will be recalled that the lead prosecuting counsel, Mr  Aliyu Umar (SAN), told the trial judge, Justice Yusuf Halilu, that the charges were being withdrawn because of a pending case related to the charges before the Federal High Court in Abuja.