No record in Lagos land registry linking Saraki to properties in Ikoyi, witness tells CCT

AN operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Michael Wetkas, has told the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in Abuja that the Lagos State Land Registry did not have the record of existence of properties at 15A and 15B, MacDonald Street, Ikoyi, allegedly belonging to the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki.

Wetkas, the star prosecution witness in the trial of the Senate president on the alleged false assets declaration, said the investigating team he led was told in writing by the Lagos Land Registry that the existence of the properties at No. 15A and 15B, MacDonald Street, Ikoyi, was not in their record.

The witness, who was re-examined by the lead prosecution counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs, based on his earlier evidence-in-chief, said his investigating team was informed by the presidential committee that Saraki bought the properties through a company, Carlse Investment Property, when he was the governor of Kwara State.

Jacobs had re-examined the witness based on the contradiction and confusion on the identities of the properties linked to Saraki, but the witness maintained that he did not go to the federal land registry to clarify issues on the disputed property ownership.

Evidence of Wetkas, on May 11, 17 and 18 last year, had raised contradictions on which of the properties actually belonged to Saraki.

The witness also maintained that he never interrogated or obtained statements from Saraki on any issue of asset declaration or asset ownership.

Meanwhile, further trial in the matter has been adjourned till January 17 by the tribunal chairman, Mr Danladi Yakubu Umar.

Jacobs, leading the prosecution team of lawyers, had applied for one week adjournment on the ground that his other witnesses from Lagos were not around to testify on Wednesday.