The Supreme Court Friday ordered a former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara to return to an Abuja High Court to face trial over alleged N55 million bribe-for-budget deals.
It would be recalled that on April 11, 2005, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) arraigned Wabara and four others before Justice Hussein Mukhtar of an Abuja High Court for allegedly obtaining money to facilitate easy passage of the budget of the Federal Ministry of Education in 2005.
The scandal which was made public by former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in a nationwide broadcast, led to the sacking of then Education Minister, Prof. Fabian Osuji and removal of Adolphus Wabara as Senate President.
They were accused of committing offences contrary to sections 9(1) (a); 17(a); 23(2); 26(1) and punishable under Section 8(1); 9(1) (b); 17(c); 23(3) of the ICPC Act 2000.
The apex court in unanimous judgement delivered by Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad, set aside the judgement of the Appellate court which quashed the charge against the accused persons.
*details to come later
It is no longer new to say that suspects must face trial. Until ‘they’ are actually seen to be prosecuted and convicted, sentenced or acquitted via concrete evidence,and on the basis of their innocence,the status quo called ‘impunity’ would be maintained.