Guardian Nigeria
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday, arraigned a former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, on a fresh 10-count charge.
The ex-minister was docked before an Abuja High Court sitting at Garki, alongside his brother, Ahmad, and a company, Enginos Nigeria Limited.
On the charge, which bordered on complicity in a N19.4 billion airport contract scam, the defendants pleaded not guilty before trial judge, Justice Suleiman Belgore.
Recall that the former minister, his daughter, Fatima, and his son-in-law, Jalal Sule Hamma, had, on May 9, secured N100 million bail each from an Abuja High Court at Maitama, over their alleged involvement in a phantom N2.7 billion Nigerian Air contract scam.
However, in the fresh charge, the EFCC alleged that Sirika had, while in office as a minister, used his position to confer an unfair advantage on Enginos Nigeria Limited, whose alter ego was his biological brother, Ahmad.
He was accused of using his position to influence the award of a contract for the construction of a terminal building at Katsina Airport for the sum of over N1.3 billion, to his brother.
The charge against the defendants, read in part: “That you Hadi Sirika, while being the minister of aviation, on or about August 18, 2022, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court, did use your position to confer unfair advantage upon Enginos Nigeria Limited, whose alter ego, Ahmad Sirika, is your biological brother, by using your position to influence the award to them.”,
The contract for the construction of a terminal building at Katsina Airport for the sum of N1.345 billion and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section.”
