A case of perjury might also be hanging on his neck over his deposition on oath that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, asked him to pervert the course of justice in the Sokoto appeal, which the main witness to the meeting between him and the CJN, Justice Dahiru Musdapher, had reportedly put a lie to.
The panel also ordered that Salami's statement of defence on Osun and Ekiti governorship appeals be made available to former Governors Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun State and Segun Oni of Ekiti State despite his protest.
Katsina-Alu, who also appeared before the panel on Tuesday over the Sokoto saga, had said in his defence that Musdapher, next in rank to him, was the main witness to the meeting he had with Salami on the Sokoto governorship appeal judgment which Salami reportedly confessed had leaked before the date scheduled for its delivery.
Following Katsina-Alu's claim, the five-man panel investigating alleged corruption in the judiciary, was said to have contacted Musdapher for his own side of the story, with the witness reportedly disagreeing with Salami's claims in his affidavit made under oath in his suit challenging the move to promote him to the Supreme Court.
Musdpaher, according to a source close to the panel, was said to have revealed to the panel that the account of the CJN represented what transpired at the meeting where the leaked Sokoto's judgment was discussed, with a case of perjury said to be a likely consideration when the panel would be putting its final report together.
Another witness that reportedly testified against Salami on Tuesday was the chairman of Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Umaru Dahiru, with his indicting affidavit dated 9th March, 2010 already in as a key exhibit in the alleged corruption saga.
Dahiru had claimed in the affidavit deposed to at the registry of the Federal High Court that Salami spoke with him several times after his nomination, requesting for his (Dahiru's) assistance on his (Salami) screening and appointment as the President of the Court of Appeal.
The deponent further stated: "That, in addition, so many other persons, including former Lagos State governor, Senator Bola Tinubu, spoke to me several times on Salami's behalf, pleading with me to ensure that he has smooth screening and appointment as the President of the Court of Appeal.
"That subsequent before screening, I was appointed as the Amirul Hajj and led the delegation of my state to 2009 Hajj and while I was there, Salami made several calls to my Saudi phone no +99502647392 requesting me to hasten my coming back for his screening.
"That in addition to the above, his friend, Senator Bola Tinubu, spoke with me several times, pleading with me to hasten my return to Nigeria so as to assist with the screening of Salami as the President of the Court of Appeal.
"That as a result of the pressure, I have to hasten my return to the country."
Apart from Salami's accusation against Katsina-Alu on the Sokoto case, the state government also petitioned the NJC, accusing Salami of underhand dealings on the appeal judgment.
Salami, who was accompanied to the panel on Tuesday by his lawyers, Lateef Fagbemi, Niyi Akintola and Adebayo Adelodun, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria, was made by the panel to directly engage his accusers, but reportedly kept mute all through with only his lawyers speaking on his behalf.
After the Sokoto case ended at about 2.30 p.m., petitioners on the Osun and Ekiti state governorship appeals were called with former Governor Oni of Ekiti going in first and when asked what he wanted by the panel, he was said to have pointed at Salami and told the panel: "I want this man punished to serve as a deterrent so that the day would not come when a judge would sit on his own divorce case to punish his wife," with the panel reportedly thrown into laughter.
With Oyinlola joining him, they both reportedly requested for Salami's defence since he had their petitions, with Fagbemi raising an objection, which was overruled by the panel, which directed that the statement and other vital documents needed by the petitioners should be made available to them today.
Further hearing in the petitions was adjourned until May 10 and 11, 2011.
An attempt by Salami's camp to also use a libel suit instituted by Niyi Akintola against the petitioners from looking at the controversial call logs was also overruled by the panel which said it would not be bogged down by technicalities, since it was a fact-finding panel.
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