Nigeria’s deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu will be charged before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) next week by the office of the attorney-general of the Federation (AGF), according to a report in TheCable.
According to the publication, Ekweremadu will be arraigned for “false declaration of assets”.
Ekweremadu is accused of having assets in United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States of America which he allegedly did not disclose in his declarations to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).
If true, he will be the second high ranking official in the Senate hierarchy to be charged with false asset declaration.
Meanwhile, officials of the ministry of justice and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the publication said are expected to leave for the UAE on Monday to seek the forfeiture of eight properties allegedly linked to Ekweremadu.
The forfeiture is being pursued under a bilateral agreement reached between the two countries after President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in 2015.
Sahara Reporters, the whistle-blowing website, had reported that Nigeria requested for information on Ekweremadu’s assets relying on the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEoI), a multi-jurisdictional instrument for exposing hidden assets and incomes.
Nigeria is a signatory to AEoI.
If found guilty, he could lose his position and could also be banned from holding public office for up to 10 years.