N19.4BN CRIMINAL BREACH OF PROCUREMENT ACT: Hadi Sirika, Ahmad Sirika Absent From Court

The accused Senator Hadi Sirika, heading for the Abuja high court in the company of his daughter, Fatimah. Both accused pleaded not guilty in a six-count charge of criminal breach of trust. Thursday, 9th May 2024

The immediate past Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, at the twilight of his tenure in office since January 2023, has been assailed with litigations exclusively on industry matters. He has also made a mark of a weekly arraignment in court on criminal breach of trust, and gross abuse of the code of conduct for public office holders.

Last week Thursday, 9th May 2024, Hadi Sirika, his daughter, Fatimah, and his daughter-in-law, Jalal Sule Hamma, appeared in court on a six-count charge which all bordered on selfish aggrandizement of the taxpayers’ fund, and the breach of trust by the minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

To all the charges, the three accused pleaded not guilty and were granted administrative bail of N100 million for each of the accused.

Having perfected the bail condition, the three accused were granted a measured freedom with the warning not to travel outside Nigeria without recourse to the court for permission.

Justice Sylvanus Oriji adjourned the matter to the 10th and 11th of June 2024, for the resumption of trial of the accused

SECOND ARRAIGNMENT: THE N19.4BN CRIMINAL BREACH OF TRUST- FRAUD

In another fresh charge by the federal government against Hadi Sirika, his junior brother, Ahmad Sirika, and the brother’s company, Enginos Nigeria Limited, the duo were expected at the Abuja High Court yesterday, Tuesday, 14th May 2024, before Justice Suleiman Belgore.

Sirika, his brother, Ahmad and his company, Enginos Nigeria Limited, have been slammed with an eight-count criminal charge bordering on fraud to the tune of N19.4billion.

The sum is said to be for several of aviation ministry contracts from the former minister to Enginos Nigeria Limited owned by Sirika’s younger brother, Ahmad.

According to the anti-graft agency, Sirika used his position as a minister to confer undue advantage on his brother, his brother’s company and other entities between April 2022 and March 2023 in Abuja.
Ahmad Abubakar is said to be the company’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. He is also said to be the sole signatory to the company’s two accounts, domiciled in Zenith and Union banks.

The anti-graft agency stated that Sirika awarded the construction of a Terminal Building at Katsina Airport for the sum of N1,345,586,500.00 to Enginos Nigeria Limited owned by Ahmad Sirika.

Sirika was also accused of awarding a contract for the establishment of the Fire Truck Maintenance and Refurbishment Centre at Katsina Airport for the sum of N3,811,497,685.00 to his brother and company.

Sirika, among others, was also accused of awarding a contract for the Procurement and Installation of lift and air conditioners and power generators for the Aviation House Abuja, for the sum of N615,195,275.00 to Ahmad and Enginos.

The EFCC stated that these offences are contrary to section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section.

Between August 2022 and May 2023, Ahmad and Enginos, were accused by the EFCC, of having an aggregate sum of N2,337, 840,674.1, which sum indirectly represented the proceeds of criminal conduct of Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation at the time. “To wit: use of office or position for gratification in respect of the said amount, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 17(b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004 and punishable under the same section.

Earlier, Ahmad was also said to have been arrested and detained by the EFCC in connection with N3,212,258,930.18 paid to his company, Enginos Nigerian Limited’s bank account by the former minister.
The contracts for which the sums were paid for, were also said to be undone with no trace of work done to date.

The defendants’ counsel, Olaniyi Anjorin, apologized to the court for his client’s absence.
His apology went thus; “Your lordship I want to sincerely apologize for the absence of the defendants,” he said.
However, Justice Suleiman Belgore, accordingly adjourned the matter to 23rd May 2024, for the arraignment of the accused.

Punch