Nigeria's top court halts Senate head's graft trial

Nigeria's highest court on today temporarily halted the trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki, who is facing charges of false declaration of assets.
Bukola Saraki applied to the Supreme Court to quash the 13-count charge after his earlier bid at the lower Court of Appeal to stop the case from going ahead failed on October 30.
The lower court dismissed the legal challenge that the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) was not properly constituted and lacked competence to hear the case.
Saraki, a trained physician and former banker, is Nigeria's third most senior politician behind President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

The case is being seen as a litmus test for Buhari's governing All Progressives Congress (APC), who came to power in May on a vow to crack down hard on corruption.
At today's sitting, Supreme Court judge John Fabiyi, who led a five-member panel, ordered proceedings at the tribunal to be halted temporarily.

"I hereby order a stay of proceedings at the court below (CCT) pending the hearing and determination of this suit (in the Supreme court) at a date to be communicated to parties," the judge said.
Saraki was initially arraigned before the CCT in September on allegations of false declaration of assets while he was governor of the north-central state of Kwara from 2003 to 2011.

He denied the charges and the case was adjourned pending the appeal.