Suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, on Friday pleaded not guilty to false asset charges
Following the bench warrant that was issued against him, Onnoghen had appeared before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, sitting in Abuja, to face charges the Federal Government entered against him.
Onnoghen who arrived the court around 9:30am, mounted the dock immediately his case was called up.
Onnoghen mounted the dock at exactly 10:15am, and persuaded the Mr. Danladi Umar led tribunal, to vacate the arrest warrant that was issued against him on Wednesday.
FG had in the charge marked CCT/01/2019, alleged that Onnoghen who was suspended from office on January 25 by President Muhammadu Buhari, failed to declare his assets as prescribed by the law.
He was accused of operating foreign bank accounts since 2011, contrary to section 15(2) of Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.
Onnoghen had on four previous dates, declined to appear before the tribunal which he contended lacked the requisite jurisdiction to entertain the charge against him.
But Mr. Danladi Umar-led panel on Wednesday, ordered key security agencies in the country to arrest Onnoghen and produce him for trial.
The CCT gave the order on a day the suspended CJN to appear before the tribunal to enter his plea to the six-count charge the Federal Government preferred against him.
Specifically, the CCT Chairman, Umar, had directed the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the Department of State Service, DSS, to execute the arrest warrant to ensure that Justice Onnoghen was brought before the tribunal on the adjourned date.
However, the order was not carried out as the suspended CJN, voluntarily appeared before the tribunal to enter his plea to the charge.
Onnoghen’s lawyer, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, thereafter applied for his client to be granted bail on self recognizance.
The application was accordingly granted by the CCT Chairman.