Former Senate President Bukola Saraki says the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) misled the Federal High Court in Lagos in securing an order for the temporary forfeiture of his property on 17A McDonald Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Saraki stated this on Tuesday in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in reaction to the forfeiture order on Monday.
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The former Senate president added that neither him nor his lawyers were aware of any application by the EFCC for the forfeiture order.
He added that the Federal High Court in Abuja had issued a subsisting order in which the same property was a subject matter and where the EFCC and the Federal Ministry of Justice were parties.
The court, Saraki said, in that case gave an order restraining the EFCC from taking any further action until the matter is determined.
“We are sure the FHC judge in Lagos was not aware of all these facts and has therefore been misled into giving the temporary forfeiture order. The affected property, House Number 17 A and 17B, was specifically listed in the case against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal in which the EFCC was part of the prosecution and the case went up to the Supreme Court where the apex court in its July 6, 2018 judgement ruled in his favour,” the statement said.
“The Supreme Court has ruled that the source of funds for the purchase of the property was not illicit as claimed by the prosecution. On pages 12, 13 and 26 of the judgement of the highest court, this particular property on 17A McDonald Street, Ikoyi, was specifically referred to and the court upheld the no-case submission of Dr. Saraki and therefore ruled in his favour.
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“We know that any action which tends to mislead the court amounts to misrepresentation and it is a good ground for us to get the Court to throw away the order it issued today. We are sure the order will be reversed.”
The statement called on all friends, associates and supporters of Saraki to remain calm.
