SAN FRANCISCO, November 27, (THEWILL) –Â The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC Tuesday re-arraigned the former Governor of Kaduna State, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero.
Also re-arraigned with the ex-governor were former Minister of State, Nuhu Somo Waya; former Kaduna State PDP Chairman, Abubakar Haruna Gaya and the former Secretary to the State Government, Hamza Ishaq.
They were arraigned before Justice Z.B Abubakar of the Federal High Court Kaduna on an 8-count amended charge bordering on conspiracy, bribery, money laundering and criminal diversion of funds to the tune of N700million.
Their prosecution began after investigations revealed that the accused persons allegedly benefited from the $115m diverted by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison Madueke which was shared to politicians and election officials in the 36 States of the federation to influence the result of the 2015 presidential election.
Investigations further revealed that Kaduna State benefitted over N700m in two installments. The money was received by the trio of Waya, Gaya and Ishaq on behalf of the State for onward delivery to INEC staff spread across the 23 Local Government Areas of the State.
All defendants pleaded not guilty to all the eight count charge read against them. Upon their pleas, counsel to the EFCC, Joshua Saidi, prayed the court to fix a date for commencement of trial. But Yunus Ustaz Usman, SAN, representing the defendants, appealed that all defendants should be admitted to the existing bail granted to them when they were first arraigned earlier in the year by the Court.
The court ruled that since all defendants have already been granted bail without any hitch, she would rely on the existing conditions. She therefore ruled that the former bail conditions remain valid and should stand.
