The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) has found the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Onnoghen guilty of violation of the code of conduct for public officers.
CCT Chairman, Danladi Umar, in a judgment on Thursday, held that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that Onnoghen is guilty.
CCT says it has jurisdiction to try Onnoghen who made false asset declaration by deliberately omitting to declare the five domiciliary accounts he maintained with Standard Chartered Bank, and in which huge deposits were found.
The tribunal after convicting him, ordered among others, his removal from office, barred him from holding public office for the next 10 years and confiscated the funds in the five accounts, which the tribunal said should be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Meanwhile, the erstwhile Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, pleaded ‘No comment’ when the Code of Conduct Tribunal Chairman, Danladi Umar, asked him if he had anything to say before his conviction.
The incident happened on Thursday (today) in Abuja as the CCT ruled in the six counts bordering on breach of Code of Conduct for Public Officers preferred against the embattled ex-CJN.
Reading the lead judgment, Umar offered Onnoghen an opportunity to plead for mercy. But he stood up in the dock and bowed as he said, “No comment.”
The Tribunal chairman then went on to impose the sentence.
Reading the judgment, Umar said, “The defendant is hereby removed from office as the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Chairman of the National Judicial Council and the Chairman of the Federal Judicial Service Commission.
“The defendant is hereby banned from holding public office for 10 years.”
The Tribunal added, “The money in the five accounts which the defendant has failed to declare and disclose its source is hereby confiscated, seized and forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria as the money was acquired illegally and the defendant has failed to adduce any evidence how he acquired the money.”