My asset declaration form were tampered with- Onnoghen

Ebun Francis|

The suspended chief justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, on Monday told the code of conduct tribunal sitting in Abuja that his two asset declarations forms submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in 2014 and 2016 were tampered with.

The embattled former CJN who is currently being tried by the federal government on a six-count charge at the CCB made the claim when James Akpala, a senior investigation officer with the CCB, requested to tender the asset forms investigated by the agency.

But objecting to the move, Onnoghen’s counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, told the tribunal that the forms he submitted in 2014 and 2016 were mutilated and in loose form.

When Awomolo asked Onnoghen to confirm the document before it is admitted, the former CJN said it had been doctored.

Akpala, the first witness called by the prosecution had narrated to the tribunal how the bureau investigated a petition from the Centre for Anti-Corruption Initiative, signed by one Denis Aghanya, on January 10.

According to him, his team got a statement from Onnoghen and applied for his account details with his bank, while the team concluded the investigation within 24 hours.

Under cross-examination by the defense counsel, Akpala declined to comment on if he was aware that the charges, evidence and witnesses against Onnoghen were prepared and signed on January 10, the same day the petition was signed, which was even before the conclusion of the investigation on January 11.

He also said that he was not aware if the bureau had a central registry and register where all returned forms were stored.

He equally declined to comment when he was shown that the financial statement he said he got from Onnoghen’s bank was addressed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), having earlier stated that the anti-graft agency was not involved in the investigation.

The CCT adjourned the case till Thursday to enable Onnoghen to appear before the NJC on Wednesday.