Date Published: 01/12/11

Arrest and Prosecute Tinubu, NGO urges Code of Conduct Bureau, AGF

A coalition of 45 NGOs under the umbrella of RIGHTS MONITORING GROUP,have asked the Attorney General of the Federation and the Code of Conduct Bureau to arrest and prosecute former Lagos state Governor AHMED BOLA TINUBU to answer his case before the Code of Conduct Tribunal. The group which petitioned the PRESIDENCY and The Code of Conduct Tribunal over the reluctance of the AGF TO CONTINUE THE TRIAL OF Tinubu for maintaining several bank accounts while in office stated in the letter titled :Sustaining public interest in the prosecution of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the Code of Conduct Tribunal ,that it was in the public interest and will be in conformity with anti corruption stance of the Government and Rule of Law to continue the trial which was adjourned sine die in 2007 when Tinubu claimed immunity as Governor .

The letter ref RMG/SH/013/G/10 dated 16 sept,2010 signed by its National Coordinator MR Olufemi Aduwo, stated that “Sen Bola Tinubu has made desperate effort to make RMG soft pedal on the issue “ and expressed regret that despite open publication in the media - PUNCH NEWSPAPER 25 April 2007 pg 2,THISDAY FEB 2,2003 Pg 23, and its open letter published in the COMPASS of Sept 2, 2010, and the Nigerian Tribune the Attorney General has refused to reopen the case since the former Governor was not under any immunity, thereby giving the impression that he is above the law.

The group recalled that the CODE OF CONDUCT Bureau in a recent press briefing admitted that Tinubu has a case to answer, questioning why he is being treated as a sacred cow, it said. It noted that former Governors like Ibori ,Igbinedion ,Orji Kalu ,Ladoja were being tried by EFCC and Code of Conduct Tribunal and their cases were not politicized like Tinubus case.

The group recalled that Tinubu faced similar Court trial in the USA about violation of US law on financial transaction in Sept 15 1993 where he engaged the procedure of Plea Bargain to get the sum of 490,000 US dollars confiscated to the American Government.

In the charge sheet the particulars of the criminal allegations against Tinubu was as follows:

Operation of 10 foreign accounts while serving as Governor in violation of S.7 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act cap 56.LFN 1990—

• First Heritage Bank country club Hills Illinois USA account no 263226700
• Citibank NA New York USA operated in the name of Bola Tinubu and Compass Finance and Investment co ltd account no 39483134,39483396,4650279566
• Citibank international New York with acct 52050-89451952 ,5205089451953
• HSBC 177,Great Portland street London WIW6QJ Acct 71253670 sort code 40-03-15
• HSBC177 Great Portland street London WIW6QJ with acct name BOLA Oluremi Tinubu
• HSBC 177 Great Portland street London WIW6QJ Acct no 04320002DN
• HSBC 177 Great Portland street London WIW6QJ With acct name Tinubu Habibat Oyindamola (miss) acct no 1320960111
• HSBC 177 Great Portland street London WIW6QJ with acct no 172447101 and Acct name Tinubu Zainab Abisola (miss)
• HSBC 177 Great Portland street London WIW6QJ With Acct no 1916667988 acct name Tinubu Oluremi Sade
• HSBC 177 Great Portland street London WIW6QJ 41421522 ACCT name Oluremi Sade Tinubu.

Affidavit was deposed by Mrs Ikechi Iwuagwu deputy director stating that Tinubu failed to disclose the accounts, but Tinubu raised the issue of his immunity which made the tribunal to adjourn the case sine die

The Presidency and the office of the Attorney General has not responded to the petition while the CODE OF CONDUCT TRIBUNAL in its response to the RMG acknowledged the letter .

In the letter signed by the Ag Chief Registrar Abdulmalik Shuaibu ref CCT/HQ.149/S/1/77 dated 8 Nov,2010, the tribunal stated’’ we fully understand the purpose and intendment of the contents of the said letter but advise that the Code of Conduct Tribunal being an impartial arbiter adjudicatory body) csn not suo moto relist this matter which was adjourned sine die sometime in 2007.The office of the Hon Attorney General of the Federation and the Chairman Code of Conduct Bureau who are responsible for prosecuting offenders before the tribunal would be the most appropriate authorities to direct your complaints”

Meanwhile a pro-democracy group based in UK Transparency and Justice in Nigeria (TAJIN) has called on the Code of Conduct Bureau to re- open the criminal prosecution of Tinubu. In its reaction to statement made by Alh.Lai Mohammed Publicity secretary of the A C N on the alleged anticipated arrest of Asiwaju Tinubu, the group said the A CN was only trying to politicize a purely criminal matter bordering on abuse of office and corruption. The group said but for the apparent connivance of the relevant security and anticorruption agencies, Asiwaju Tinubu should be languishing in jail for several corruption and criminal issues which are glaring to the blind.

The group in a statement by its Coordinator Dr JIde Adesodun decried the penchant for A CN for double standard in its public utterances and statements saying that while the A C N would readily applaud the trial of PDP leaders and other Nigerians for any offence however trivial, it will read political victimization when the issue concern its members .

‘’When Bode George and Ibori were being tried ,Tinubu and the A C N used the media and its allies in the judiciary and security to hound them to jail, now that TINUBUs hideous criminal tendencies are coming out it is now political victimization, giving Nigerians the impression that there are 2 sets of laws, one for the PDP and another for the opposition parties’’ the group said adding that Government agencies should never be intimidated to prosecute any offender which ever his or her political affiliation or financial status.

‘’The arrogance and the self advertised immunity from the hands of the law by TINUBU is anathema to the rule of law and should be resisted by all lovers of democracy’’, the group stated advising the former Governor to defend himself rather than whipping up unnecessary sentiment through the media.