The former minister of labour, Hassan Lawal (M) with EFCC officials when he appeared in court for corruption in Abuja on Wednesday (11/5/11)
The Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday ordered that a former minister of works and housing, Hassan Lawal, be remanded in prison custody pending when a formal application for his bail on an alleged N75.7 billion fraud is brought before it.
Mr Lawal and 15 others were yesterday arraigned before presiding judge, Belikisu Aliyu by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 234-count charge bordering on fraudulent award of contracts, money laundering and embezzlement of about N75.5billion belonging to the federal government.
The 16 suspects for arraignment over a 25-count charge of fraud and money laundering are Mr Lawal, Adeogba Godwin Ademola, Digital Toll Company Ltd, Okala Phillip, Yakubu Thahal Paul, Swede Control Interlink Ltd, Proman Vital Ventures Ltd, PEB 04 Nigeria Ltd, Lassa Ltd, Odomac Nig Ltd, Nuirda Ltd, Hillel Gilboa, Siraj Nig Ltd, Geographical Information System, Wise Health Services Ltd and Dave Enej.
Political persecution
The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), has however said the prosecution of the former minister has political undertones.
The party's National Publicity Secretary, Rotimi Fashakin, said the commission prepared charges against the former minister because he worked for the victory of the CPC governorship candidate in Nasarawa State.
"Lawal is being persecuted because he worked for CPC in Nasarawa State, and the incumbent governor who was removed is not happy and wants to pay him back," Mr Fashakin said.
The EFCC, on Wednesday arraigned Mr. Lawal and 7 others. They were docked before presiding Judge Aliyu where they pleaded not guilty to the charge read to them.
The counsel to the EFCC, Wahab Shittu, asked the court to remand Messrs Lawal and Ademola in prison custody pending the commencement of trial.
But counsel to the former minister, M.A. Magarji objected to the arraignment on the grounds that his client was not served the notice of arraignment forty-eight hours before the court session, and made an oral application for bail.
Mr. Shittu opposed the oral application for bail and prayed the court that the accused persons be remanded in prison custody pending the commencement of trial.
Mr Aliyu turned down the application for bail on the grounds that a written application should be made for bail. He also ordered that the accused persons be remanded in Kuje Prison till a formal application for bail is brought before the court and adjourned the case till June 6th and 7th for definite hearing.
Multi-million naira property
Mr Lawal, who was appointed Minister of Works and Housing by late President Umaru Yar'Adua in 2007, also served as Minister of Labour and Productivity in the cabinet of former president, Olusegun Obasanjo.
The EFCC said their investigations revealed curious lodgments of various funds into his personal accounts by his cronies and agents. A property valued at N600, 350, 000( Six hundred million, three hundred and fifty thousand naira only) in Asokoro, Abuja, belonging to him was also said to have been discovered.
The EFCC said he was interrogated on how he raised the money to buy such property as a civil servant, but he could not offer any reasonable explanation other than that he paid through a United Bank of Africa facility.
He was also accused of awarding contracts to non-existing companies; awarding contracts to companies with no financial and infrastructural muscles to deliver; contract splitting, contract duplication to same companies and fraudulent crediting of his personal account with government monies not earned.
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