‘N2.8bn Fraud’: Ex-Minister Sirika Awarded Contract To Son-In-Legislation, Witness Tells court docket

A witness within the ongoing trial of former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, on Monday, knowledgeable Justice S. C. Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory Excessive Courtroom, that the corporate, Al Buraq World Funding, was not certified to deal with the repairs of Katsina Airport awarded by the previous minister.

Musa Odiniyan, the fifth prosecution witness (PW5) within the case, informed the court docket that regardless of not being certified, the corporate was given the contract by the ministry underneath the management of the primary defendant.

Sirika is standing trial alongside his daughter, Fatima Hadi Sirika, son-in-law Jalal Sule Hamma, and Al Buraq World Funding on six-count amended costs bordering on contract fraud to the tune of N2,825,032,220.97.

Throughout cross-examination by counsel to the fourth defendant, Michael Numa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Odiniyan mentioned the corporate couldn’t have certified for the bidding course of or the contract award if open and aggressive bidding had been executed.

“We use some standards for figuring out the award of contracts for corporations. I nonetheless preserve that if it was an open aggressive bidding, the corporate Al Buraq could not have certified,” he acknowledged.

Odiniyan, a retired director within the Procurement Division, Ministry of Aviation, additionally disclosed that the rationale for which the contract was paid for was merely to make sure that it was accomplished and commissioned by former President Buhari earlier than he left workplace.

“The rationale for that cost was for the undertaking to be carried out and commissioned earlier than the exit of the previous president. It was not for variation. The accounting officer sourced cash from each related path to actualize the undertaking. The N800 million is a budgetary allowance to help the actualization of the undertaking,” he mentioned.

He revealed that two of the ministry’s contracts awarded to Alburak and Enginos on the Apron and Terminal Constructing of Katsina Airport, respectively, had been captured underneath two completely different funds codes however appeared in a single code within the procurement division.

Sirika was arraigned by the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC) on Could 9, 2024, on six-count contract fraud costs throughout his tenure as Minister of Aviation, between 2019 and 2023.

Depend one of many costs reads: “That you simply, HADI ABUBAKAR SIRIKA, whereas being the Minister of Aviation between April 2022 and March 2023, in Abuja, inside the jurisdiction of this Honorable Courtroom, did use your place to confer an unfair benefit upon TIANAERO NIGERIA LIMITED whose alter ego, PROF. GABRIEL TILMANN is your Affiliate through the use of your place to affect the award to them, the Consultancy contract for the Nigerian Air Begin-up and extension of identical for the sum of N1,326,731,470.97 (One Billion, Three Hundred and Twenty Six Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty-One Thousand, 4 Hundred and Seventy Naira, Ninety Seven Kobo Solely) and also you thereby dedicated an offence opposite to part 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Different Associated Offences Act, 2000 and punishable underneath the identical part.

Depend two of the costs reads: “That you simply, HADI ABUBAKAR SIRIKA, whereas being the Minister of Aviation between April 2022 and March 2023, in Abuja, inside the jurisdiction of this Honorable Courtroom, did use your place to confer an unfair benefit upon AL BURAQ GLOBAL INVESTMENT LTD whose alter ego FATIMA HADI SIRIKA and JALAL SULE HAMMA is your daughter and son-in-law respectively through the use of your place to affect the award to them, the contract for the Apron Extension at Katsina Airport for the sum of N1,498,300,750.00 (One Billion, 4 Hundred and Ninety-Eight Million, Three Hundred Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty Naira Solely) and also you thereby dedicated an offence opposite to Part 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Different Associated Offences Act, 2000 and punishable underneath the identical Part.”

When the costs had been learn to them, they pleaded not responsible to all counts.

Justice Oriji consequently admitted every of the 4 defendants to bail within the sum of N100m, with two sureties in like sum.

In keeping with the court docket, the sureties will need to have landed properties in Abuja with Certificates of Occupancy signed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. Additionally, the sureties are to depose to affidavits of means.

Justice Oriji barred the defendants from travelling outdoors the nation with out the go away of the court docket and remanded them on the Kuje Correctional Centre till they met the bail circumstances.