The chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, has been dragged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a two-count charge of bribery, two years after the anti-graft agency absolved him of any wrongdoing in a case of judicial bribery and racketeering.The case marked CR: 109/18 was filed on January 25, before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory and is being handled by the Festus Keyamo and Offem Uket on behalf of the EFCC.
The first count reads:“ That you, Daladi Yakubu Umar, being the chairman of theCCT and presiding over a case with charge No.CCT/Abuja/03/12, involving one Rasheed Owolabi Taiwo, sometime in 2012 at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, did ask for the sum of N10 million from the said Rasheed Owolabi Taiwo, for the favour to be afterwards shown to him in relation to the pending charge in discharge of your official duties and thereby committed and offence contrary to Section 12(1)9a) and (b) of the ICPC Act 2003.”
The second count reads:“That you, Daladi Yakubu Umar, being the chairman of the CCT and presiding over a case with charge No.CCT/Abuja/03/12, involving one Rasheed Owolabi Taiwo, sometime in 2012 at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, did receive the sum of N1.8 million from the said Rasheed Owolabi Taiwo, through your personal assistant by name Gambo Abdullahi, forthe favour to be afterwards shown to him in relation to the pending charge in discharge of your official duties and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 12(1)9a) and (b) of the ICPC Act.”
Allegations of bribery first surfaced against the CCT chairman Umar when he took on the trial of the Senate President Bukola Saraki over assets declaration fraud in 2015.According to Report, Umar’s personal assistant who allegedly received the bribe for him in the case for which he was charged today has agreed to testify truthfully about the bribery transaction involving a former customs officer accused of assets declaration fraud.
