Alex Enumah in Abuja
A witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the ongoing trial of former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Abubakar Sirika, has admitted that the ex minister was not a signatory to the award of consultancy contract by the Federal Ministry of Aviation to the tune of N599 million.
The witness, Christopher Odofin, also told the court that from the face of the documents leading to the award of the disputed contract, there was nothing implicating the former minister in the contract issues.
Odofin, an investigator with the EFCC, stated this while responding to questions from Sirika’s lawyer, a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), during the continuation of trial of the former minister at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, in Maitama, Abuja.
Sirika is being prosecuted by the EFCC, alongside his daughter, Fatima and son-in-law, Hamma Jalal Sule, and a company allegedly owned by the couple, Al Buraq Global Investment Limited, on a six-count charge bordering on abuse of office and contract fraud to the tune of N2.8 billion.
According to the charge, the former minister was said to have abused his office when he allegedly conferred unfair advantage on Al Buraq Global Investment Limited by using his position to influence award of contract for the apron extension at the Katsina Airport for the sum of N1,498,300,750, among other alleged offences.
The actions, the commission claimed, were contrary to the provisions of Sections 12 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and Section 17(b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004, as well as Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532 Acts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and punishable under the same sections.
However, the former minister and his co-defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them.
At Thursday’s proceeding, the EFCC’s witness when confronted with tendered prosecution’s documents admitted that the letter of contract award was not signed by the former minister and that Sirika was also not a member of the Ministerial Tenders Board of the Aviation Ministry that awarded the contract in dispute.
He told the court that on the face of the contract award document, there was nothing to show that the Director of Procurement in the ministry who signed the contract papers ought not to have signed the contract.
However, Odofin stated that the former minister was charged to court because of his oral instruction on the contract for N599 million which was beyond the threshold, alleging that the contract was awarded to Sirika’s associate.
On the voice note extracted from the phone of the former Permanent Secretary of the Aviation Ministry, Mr Abel Enitan, the witness admitted that the telephone where the voice extraction was carried out was not before the court and that there was no evidence that what was extracted from the phone was served on the owner of the phone.
He admitted that the EFCC completed its investigation as at April 26, 2024 when the charges against the defendants were filed before the court but however, told the court that he was not aware of the series of additional proofs of evidence filed by the prosecution after the charge had been filed.
He also said that he was not aware of how 11 persons listed as witnesses in the initial proof of evidence was increased to 20.
Answering questions from the counsel to the second defendant, Efut Okoi, the witness admitted that Sirika’s daughter, Fatima, charged along with him, was not the Chief Executive Officer of Al Buraq Global Investment Limited that was awarded the contract for the expansion of apron at the Katsina Airport.
He also said that the digital forensic report used in filing the charges was not prepared by him but by one Bello Gideon.
He told the court that he did not extract extrajudicial statements from officers of the Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Airport Authority and Katina State government on the expansion of the Katsina Airport apron.
He told the court that as of the time of awarding the contract for the expansion of the apron to Al Buraq Global Investment, Abel Enitan was Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation and the Chairman of the Ministerial Tenders Board.
Meanwhile, Justice Sylvanus Oriji has adjourned the case to October 20 and 28 for the continuation of cross-examination of the witness.