- The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
- Sirika is already standing trial on a six-count charge bordering on the same offences.
Hadi Sirika, the former minister of aviation, has been charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with an alleged contract fraud.
Sirika was charged on a 10-count amended accusation dated May 13 and filed on May 14, 2024, together with his brother Ahmad Abubakar Sirika and Abubakar’s company Enginos Nigeria Limited.
For awarding Enginos Nigeria Limited contracts worth N19.4 billion, Sirika is accused of abusing his position.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
On May 14, Sirika’s arraignment was stalled because the defendants did not show up in court.
Sirika is already standing trial on a six-count charge bordering on the same offences.
He was arraigned on May 9 alongside Fatima, his daughter; Jalal Hamma, his son-in-law; and Al-Duraq Investment Limited; over an alleged N2.7 billion contract fraud.
All the defendants pleaded not guilty and were granted bail in the sum of N100 million each.
Sirika was aviation minister in the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2019 to 2023.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) began investigating the alleged contract fraud against Sirika while he was still in office.
He also reportedly met with investigators at the time.
The EFCC first detained Sirika on April 23.
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