BEVERLY HILLS, March 21, (THEWILL) – The Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, has threatened to send some journalists to prison for alleged misrepresentation of facts in reporting proceedings at the tribunal.
Umar, presiding over the trial of the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, for alleged breach of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) Act said after the tribunal’s proceedings on Monday, the journalists had reported in their articles published on Tuesday that Onnoghen had alleged that his two asset declaration forms were mutilated by the Federal Government.
Speaking on Thursday, Umar insisted that Onnoghen did not make the allegation adding that the counsel to the defendant, Adegboyega Awomolo, after going through the two forms admitted as exhibit 2 and 3, only said that “it is loose.”
“On Tuesday, these reporters made mischievous, distorted facts and misrepresentation of what transpired on March 18.
“You are lucky today, If not I would have used the full wrath of this tribunal to send you to prison. And they would remain there until I retire and that is 28 years from now.
“I would not hesitate to deal with any journalist who goes about misreporting statements adduced during this proceeding.
“I would bring heaven down on the journalists who misinterpret these proceedings,” he threatened.
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