SAN FRACISCO, January 16, (THEWILL) – Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has revealed that he is saddened by the trial of senior members of the legal profession which he is part of.
Speaking in Abuja, on Wednesday, at the third edition of the new media conference by the Online Publishers Association of Nigeria (OPAN), Osinbajo was referring to the trials by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Paul Usoro.
Justice Onnoghen was to be tried before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) by the Federal Government through the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) which filed six counts of non-declaration of assets against the CJN on Friday.
He was due for arraignment before the CCT on Monday but he was absent from court and the arraignment was fixed for January 22.
On his part, Usoro, is facing trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly laundering N1.4 billion.
The NBA President had pleaded not guilty to the 10 counts of alleged conversion of N1.4 billion belonging to the Akwa Ibom State government and was admitted to bail in the sum of N250million with one surety in like sum.
Reacting, Osinbajo revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari had given free hand to the anti-graft agencies to function without fear of intervention adding that the President only knew about the planned CJN’s trial on Saturday.
He however, declared that the Buhari-administration would not be cowed by the buzz created by the trials but will continue to pursue it’s anti-corruption war under the ambit of the law.
The conference, which held at Sandralia Hotel, Jabi, Abuja, was sponsored by UBA, The Dickens Sanomi Foundation, Access Bank, Fidelity Bank and First Bank of Nigeria.
