BEVERLY HILLS, June 21, (THEWILL) – The Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court sitting in Jabi has deferred till Monday, June 27, the arraignment of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, on a two-count charge marked CR/219/16, which borders on conspiracy and forgery.
Following an oral application by the prosecuting counsel, Mr. David Kaswe, that effecting personal service of the charge on the defendants proved “very difficult”, the Justice Yusuf Halilu-led court ordered substituted service of the charge on the defendants by pasting it at the notice board of the National Assembly.
Kaswe said the prosecution had also deposed an affidavit to show efforts it made to furnish the defendants with copies of the charge against them and therefore urged the court to invoke sections 123 and 124 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, and permit that the charge be served on the defendants by substituted means.
Acceding to the request in a brief ruling, Justice Halilu pointed out that the prosecution ought to have supported the application with a motion ex-parte, explaining that he was minded to grant the oral request for substituted service considering the need for the defendants to be aware of the criminal charge pending against them.
The case was subsequently adjourned till next week Monday for arraignment of the defendants, among who are the former Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa and his deputy, Mr. Benedict Efeturi.
The four defendants were accused of complicity in the alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Orders, 2015 which was used to conduct the July 9, 2015, election that ushered in Saraki and Ekweremadu as Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively.
