Muhuyi Magaji, the Chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC), has appealed against the ruling of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) ordering his suspension from office.
News About Nigeria reports that the CCT arraigned Magaji before it on November 16, 2023, on 10 counts of alleged conflict of interest and false declaration of assets.
Magaji pleaded not guilty to all counts and was granted bail.
In response, Magaji filed a motion challenging the competence of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to prosecute him.
He cited a previous court order from a Kano State High Court, which restrained the CCB from interfering in his affairs until the matter was resolved.
However, the CCT, led by Justice Danladi Umar, ordered Magaji’s suspension on Thursday, directing the Kano State governor and Secretary to the State Government to appoint an acting chairman for the commission pending the case’s determination.
Unsatisfied with the ruling, Magaji, through his lawyer, approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja for redress.
In his appeal, he argued that the CCT violated his rights to fair trial and presumption of innocence by ordering his suspension prematurely.
“CCT erred in law, acted without jurisdiction, and denied Magaji a right to a fair hearing, when suo motu, it raised and determined issues of purported contradictions in his counter-affidavit, and further insisted he conceded to the speculative facts in CCB’s further and better affidavit, ” he added.
Magaji’s legal team also filed a motion before the tribunal seeking a stay of execution of the suspension order and an injunction restraining the CCB from implementing the tribunal’s decisions pending the appeal’s determination.
