The Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, has found a former Minister of Niger Delta, Godsday Orubebe, guilty of false declaration of asset.
Chairman of the CCT, Justice Danladi Umar, delivered the judgment convicting Orubebe of the offence.
However, he gave him a light sentence.
Justice Umar explained that the documents and evidences presented by the prosecution proved that Orubebe was guilty.
He further stated that while the minister claimed that the property was on rent from the federal government, the rejection of the claim by his former landlord to allow him exercise his right over the property rendered the power of attorney useless.
“I hereby seize, on behalf of the federal government, the property known as plot 2057,” he ruled.
“The prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, and all evidence tendered are admitted.”
He held that Orubebe committed an offence for not declaring a piece of property in Abuja, which he claimed he had sold.
The government claimed that he committed the offence while he was a public officer.
The former Minister had pleaded ‘not guilty’ for two count charges of false declaration of assets and another two counts of bribery when arraigned before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
Orubebe was charged by the Code of Conduct Bureau for alleged failure to declare landed property in Kyamu and Asokoro district, both in Abuja, on assumption of office as minister on September 26, 2007.
In the other counts, Orubebe was also accused of allegedly accepting bribes totalling N70 million for the award of contracts in favour of his company.
The former minister is better known for his outburst at the national collation centre of the 2015 presidential election, in an attempt to halt the declaration of results of the election.

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