May 9, (THEWILL) – A Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Abuja has granted a N100m bail each to former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika and his co-defendants, arraigned over alleged fraud and abuse of office to the tune of N2.7billion.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had filed a six-count amended charge against the immediate-past Aviation minister (Sirika), his daughter, Fatima and son son-in-law, Jalal Sule Hamma, along with Al-Duraq Investment Limited.
The charges followed part of the ourcome of EFCC investigations into the financial malfeasance allegedly committed by the former minister, including fraudulent contracts awarded by the ministry under his watch.
Taking their plea before Justice Sylvanus Oriji on Thursday, all the defendants maintained their innocence and pleaded “not guilty” to charges.
Counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs while praying the court for expeditious hearing of the case, noted that the defendants were earlier granted bail by the commission but fail to report on the 19th of April.
In his response, Counsel to Sirika, Kanu Agabi, pleaded for mercy from the judge and prayed the court that Sirika be granted bail on self-recognition.
On his part, Mahmoud Magaji, counsel for the second defendant (Sirika’s daughter) prayed the court to grant his client bail on extreme liberal grounds as a nursing mother.
Admitting them on a N100m bail each on Thursday, Justice Oriji ordered that they are to provide two responsible citizens as sureties who must have landed properties within the FCT with valid titles.
The sureties, the court, said must depose to an affidavit of means. The court also restricted the defendants from traveling abroad without its permission.
While ruling that trial will commence on the 10th, 11th and 20th of June, Justice Oriji ordered that the defendants should be remanded in prison custody if they failed to meet their bail conditions.
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