The Code of Conduct Tribunal on Wednesday adjourned the trial of Senate President, Bukola Saraki, indefinitely, following the failure of Micheal Wetkas, the lead prosecution witness to show up in court.
The decision of the CCT confirms an earlier report by SIGNAL Tuesday night which exclusively broke the news about the development.
The trial had on May 25, 2016 been adjourned till Wednesday, for the cross-examination of the witness, Michael Wetkas, to continue.
The tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar, said the adjournment was to give the court time to hear other cases.
The prosecution and defense teams also said the break would allow them prepare their cases better.
Sources informed about the development had told SIGNAL on Tuesday night that the possible absence of the lead prosecution witness Micheal Wetkas could defer the planned sitting of the tribunal on Wednesday as the defense counsels would have no prosecution witness to cross-examine.
Wetkas according to the source, would be present at another case at the Federal High Court where Justice Ademola Adeniyi would be presiding.
Recall that recently, the CCT had waited for hours for the arrival of Wetkas in court, a development observers have described as early signs of a prosecution running out of steam having exhausted itself in the course of a hurried and poorly presented prosecution of the Senate president’s case at the CCT.
“The CCT had hoped to dispense with the Senate President’s trial before May 29, 2016 and include it among the anti-corruption achievements of the current administration. But that deadline has since elapsed and it is no longer feasible. So, you have a case where the initial rush is beginning to wane and the prosecution seems to be getting worn out with the whole process”, an informed source who did not want to be named told SIGNAL on Tuesday.
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