Code of Conduct Bureau files 13-count charge against Saraki over false assets declaration

Nigeria’s Code of Conduct Bureau has filed charges against Nigeria’s Senate President, Bukola Saraki, for alleged failure to fully declare his assets, SaharaReporters has learnt.

The tribunal’s 13-count charge exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters accuses Mr. Saraki, among other crimes, of improperly using state funds to purchase private assets during his tenure as the governor of Kwara State while he was senator of the federal republic of Nigeria.

The Senate President was also accused of declaring as part of his assets a property that had not been sold to him, a maneuver that is known as “anticipatory looting” in Nigeria’s political lexicon.

The Code of Conduct Tribunal has never convicted any Nigerian official for false declaration of assets.

Mr. Saraki’s wife, Toyin Saraki, is being investigated for money laundering by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), but charges are yet to be filed against her by the agency.

SaharaReporters has done a series of exposes on Mr. Saraki’s history of money laundering and graft beginning from his role in the systematic looting of assets belonging to Societe Generale Bank in which his family had significant shares. The bank ultimately failed.

Mr. Saraki has been embattled ever since his emergence as the Senate Presidency, with many anti-corruption activists and groups viewing him as an impediment to any efforts to combat corruption in Nigeria.

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