The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is to arraign former Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, before Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Maitama on Thursday.
Sirika, a minister in the administration of former president Muhammadu Buhari, would be arraigned on a six -count amended charge.
He will be arraigned alongside three others, including his daughter, Fatima; Jalal Hamma and Al-Duraq Investment Ltd, for abuse of office to the tune of N2.7billion.
As part of EFCC investigations into the financial malfeasance allegedly committed by the former minister, “including fraudulent contracts awarded by the ministry under his watch, had on April 23 detained him in Abuja.”
Sirika was invited by the Abuja Zonal Command of the commission on the alleged contract malfeasance and was promptly interrogated and detained at the Formella Street, Wuse 2 Zonal office of the Commission.
“The former minister (Sirika) was invited for questioning by investigators handling the alleged contract frauds under his watch in the ministry. He honoured the invitation and has been detained as I am talking with you,” a source in the EFCC who pleaded anonymity said.
The source also said that EFCC had been investigating the alleged contract frauds while the minister was in office, and he had even met with investigators before he was detained.
The arraignment was earlier slated to hold on Tuesday but due to EFCC prayer to amend the charge, a new date was given.
According to the EFCC, the former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika awarded four significant contracts to Engirios Nigeria Limited, a company suspected to be connected to his brother, Abubakar Sirika.
The company was awarded the contracts when Sirika was the Minister in the ministry.
As per the EFCC, the investigation has verified that Abubakar is officially identified as the company’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer.
It has been mentioned that he is the only authorized person to sign for the company’s two accounts.
The anti-graft agency, EFCC reveals that the former Minister, Hadi Sirika, assigned the contracts to his brother, Abubakar, despite being aware that Abubakar holds a position as a civil servant.
Abubakar serves as a deputy director on Level 16 within the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, a department he has been a part of since 2000 until the present time.
NAN
