Assets seizure: Court misled into granting forfeiture order

Tuesday, 22 October 2019 05:58

Assets seizure: Court misled into granting forfeiture order - Saraki

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PRESS RELEASE

Former Senate President, Mr Bukola Saraki has stated that his attention has been drawn to an order said to have been granted by a Federal High Court in Lagos for a temporary forfeiture of his property on 17A McDonald Road, Ikoyi, following an ex-parte application by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In a statement by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Mr Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki stated that Federal High Court in Lagos must have been misled into granting that order as neither him nor his lawyers were aware of any application by EFCC for any forfeiture order.

He said there is a subsisting court order issued by Federal High Court, Abuja, in which the same property was a subject matter and where EFCC and Federal Ministry of Justice were parties. The court in that case gave an order restraining EFCC from taking any further action until the matter is determined.

“We are sure the FHC judge in Lagos was not aware of all these facts and has therefore been misled into giving the temporary forfeiture order. The affected property, House Number 17 A and 17B, was specifically listed in the case against him at Code of Conduct Tribunal in which EFCC was part of the prosecution and the case went up to Supreme Court where the apex court in its July 6, 2018 judgement ruled in his favour.

“Supreme Court has ruled that the source of funds for the purchase of the property was not illicit as claimed by the prosecution.

On pages 12, 13 and 26 of the judgement of the highest court, this particular property on 17A McDonald Street, Ikoyi, was specifically referred to and the court upheld the no case submission of Saraki and therefore ruled in his favour.

“We know that any action which tends to mislead the court amounts to misrepresentation and it is a good ground for us to get the Court to throw away the order it issued today. We are sure the order will be reversed.

“We therefore call on all the friends, associates and supporters of Saraki to remain calm because we know this action will not stand when the court gets to hear the side of the former Senate President”, Saraki stated.

Signed:

Yusuph Olaniyonu

Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Bukola Saraki Media Office