..Get N100m bail, case adjourned till May 28
Former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirika, his brother, Ahmad Sirika and two companies Enginos Nigeria Limited and Samahah Integrated Investment Limited were, on Thursday, arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before Justice S. Belgore of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court Garki.
They were arraigned on an amended 10-count charge bordering on contract fraud to the tune of N5.802billion.
Count one reads, “That you Hadi Sirika, while being the Minister of Aviation, on or about August 18, 2022, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this court, did use your position to confer unfair advantage upon Enginos Nigeria Limited whose alter ego, Ahmad Abubakar Sirika is your biological brother by using your position to influence the award to them, the contract for the construction of a Terminal Building at Katsina Airport for the sum of N1.345billion and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same Section.”
Count two reads ‘that you Hadi Sirika, while being the Minister of Aviation, on or about November 3, 2022, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this court, did use your position to confer unfair advantage upon Enginos Nigeria Limited whose alter ego, Ahmad Sirika is your blood brother by using your position to influence the award to them, the contract for the establishment of Fire Truck Maintenance and Refurbishment Centre at Katsina Airport for the sum of N3.811billion only and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same Section.”
All the defendants pleaded not guilty to all ten charges when they were read to them.
Following their pleas, counsel to the 1st defendant, M. Numa SAN prayed the court to grant his client bail in the same conditions as had been earlier granted in Justice S. Oriji’s court when the defendant was arraigned before him on May 9, 2024.
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He also argued that the defendant was “not a flight risk, a man of high esteem in the society and has an aged 90year-old mother and family to cater for”.
Counsel to 2nd defendant, M. Magaji, SAN, also pleaded with the court to grant bail in the same conditions as Justice Oriji, also claiming that the 2nd defendant had a family to look after.
Prosecution counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe did not object to both applications while also informing the court that the defendants were already on administrative bail granted by the EFCC.
In granting bail, Justice Belgore said he considered that the 1st defendant had never been convicted before.
He also said both defendants are not likely to jump bail, commit further offences or tamper with evidence relating to their trial.
He therefore, while also relying on Justice Oriji’s bail terms, granted them bail in the sum of N100million each with two sureties in like sum.
One of the sureties, according to the court must have a landed property in the Federal Capital Territory and defendants are not to travel outside the country without the court’s permission.
The matter is adjourned till May 28 and 29, for commencement of trial.
