A witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has narrated how Hadi Sirika, former minister of aviation, awarded contracts to his relatives when he was a cabinet member.
The EFCC on May 9, arraigned Sirika alongside his daughter,
Fatima, and her husband, Jalal Sule Hamma, as well as their company, Al Buraq
Global Investment Ltd, at the federal capital territory (FCT) high court in
Maitama.
The ex-minister is accused of abusing his office by awarding
contracts to a company in which his daughter and husband retain interest.
Testifying as the 12th prosecution witness on Tuesday,
Christopher Odofin, an investigating officer with the EFCC, told the court that
the contract for the terminal building and apron expansion at the Katsina
airport was a single contract as designated by the Bureau of Public Procurement
(BPP).
However, the witness said Sirika split the contract in two,
awarding one part to Enginos Nigeria Limited at N1.3 billion and the other part
to Al Buraq Global Investment Ltd at N1.4 billion.
He said despite being a staff member of Nigerian National
Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Fatima, the second defendant, was the
secretary of Al Buraq Global Investment Limited and owned half of the company’s
shares.
Odofin added that her husband, the third defendant – who was
also employed by the federal government – owned the other half of the company’s
shares.
“While the two are public servants, they incorporated and
owned the fourth defendant and also used the fourth defendant to get government
contracts in the federal ministry of aviation, where the second defendant’s
father and the third defendant’s father-in-law was the minister,” the witness
said.
‘SIRIKA APPROVED FULL CONTRACT PAYMENT TO DAUGHTER’S COMPANY
WITHOUT EXECUTION’
The witness also told the court that after the award of the
apron expansion contract to the fourth defendant on November 14, 2022, the
ministry of aviation under the leadership of Sirika paid N1.3 billion with some
fractions after tax to the Zenith Bank account of the company, representing 100
percent payment of the contract sum.
He said the payment of 100 percent contract sum was solely
based on the approval of Sirika, who was the sitting minister of aviation at
the time.
He also disclosed that upon the receipt of payment, N182
million was transferred on different dates to the personal account of the third
defendant, with N110 million transferred to a fixed deposit account belonging
to the third defendant.
“Furthermore, upon payment of N1.3 billion, the sum of N7.4
million was transferred to the personal account of the second defendant in Jaiz
Bank; N8.2 million was transferred to the salary account of the third defendant
in Access Bank Plc, and N500 million was transferred to Trimak Engineering
Services Ltd and was never utilised for the contract but was expended on
another contract awarded to Trimak Engineering Services Ltd from other agencies
of the government,” the witness said.
According to the witness, out of the total contract sum of
N1.3 billion paid, over N549 million is still in the company’s account, which
has an interim injunction placed on it.
The witness further revealed that there were other transfers
to individuals and companies unconnected to the execution of the apron
expansion contract.
Asked about the status of the contract, the witness said,
“Nothing has been done.”
Meanwhile, Sylvanus Oriji, the presiding judge, ordered a
trial-within-a-trial to ascertain the voluntariness of the statements made by
the second and third defendants to the EFCC.
The judge made the order following objections raised by all counsel
for the defendants while the prosecution sought to tender the statements
through the 12th witness.
He adjourned until October 27 for the commencement of the
trial-within-trial.
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