Saraki, Ekweremadu in Court for 'FORGERY' Trial this morning {PHOTO}

Senate President Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu,

deputy senate president, have arrived at the federal

capital territory (FCT) high court, Abuja where their trial

for alleged forgery commences.

They arrived at 8:48am in company of at least 30

senators.

They came in two Coaster buses and a string of cars.

After a series of failed attempts to get them to court,

Yusuf Haliru, the judge, on June 21, ordered that they

be served the court summons through substituted

means.

The summons was now be pasted on the notice board

of the national assembly, ordering them to come before

the court on Monday.

Saraki, Ekweremadu, Salisu Maikasuwa, former clerk of

the national assembly, and Benedict Efeturi, his deputy,

are facing charges of alleged criminal conspiracy and

forgery of the senate standing rules, 2015, brought

against them by the federal government.

Count one of the charge reads: “That you Salisu

Abubakar Maikasuwa, Benedict Efeturi, Dr. Olubukola

Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu on or about the 9th of

June, 2015, at the National Assembly Complex, Three

Arm Zone, Abuja within the Jurisdiction of this

Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves, to

forge the Senate Standing Order, 2011 (as amended)

and you thereby committed the offence of Conspiracy,

punishable under Section 97 (1) of the Penal Code

Law.”

Count two reads: “That you Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa,

Benedict Efeturi, Dr. Olubukola Saraki and Ike

Ekweremadu on or about the 9th of June, 2015, at the

National Assembly Complex, Three Arm Zone, Abuja

within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with

fraudulent intent forged the Senate Standing Order

2011 (as amended) causing it to be believed as the

genuine Standing Order, 2015 and circulated same for

use during the inauguration of the 8th Senate of the

National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,

when you knew that the said Order was not made in

compliance the procedure for amendment of the

Senate Order, you thereby committed an offence

punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Law.”