Kano anti-graft accuses judge of obstructing N100million fraud case

• Bench Warrant On Chairman Of Anti-Graft Still Stands, Court Says

Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday accused a Kano high Court judge of impeding investigation and the judicial process on N100million fraud suit filed by the agency.

The agency had filed a criminal suit against the immediate past Kano state Accountant General, Aisha Mohammad Bello who was accused of diversion of N100million. Aisha who voluntarily resigned her appointment earlier this year, was alleged to have fraudulently diverted said monies, belonging to the local government, into a private account, few weeks after she left Ganduje’s administration.

Chairman of the Commission, Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado who raised the concern yesterday at a press briefing in his office, insisted that the judge and some judicial officers in the state are undermining the course of justice especially, the fight against corruption in Kano.

Muhuyi explained that the case of N100million fraud was uncovered by the agency, through the intervention of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) after providing substantial evidence to prove the illegal transaction. He said that while they were carrying out investigations, the immediate past AG had approached a high Court sitting in Gezawa local government, seeking order of the court to prevent further investigation. Muhuyi further noted that upon the earlier judgment, the agency equally went to another court of equal jurisdiction, to secure an order to continue with the investigation. He said unknown to the court, the same accused had sought plea-bargaining with the agency after voluntarily returned N20million out of the diverted fund to the commission.

Although, Muhuyi applauded some judges in Kano for facilitating the course of justice against corruption, he insisted that the conduct of the judge in question, in no less amounted to judicial misconduct that, the agency would resist.

Meanwhile, The Guardian confirmed that the Chairman of the anti-graft agency has shunned the high court summon for two consecutive times after which the court issued a bench warrant on the chairman.