Nothing implicates ex-Aviation Minister Sirika in award of consultancy contract document — EFCC witness

THE 12th prosecution witness (PW12) in the ongoing trial of former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Abubakar Sirika, alongside three others before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Thursday, told the court that there was nothing implicating the former minister on the document awarding consultancy contract by the Federal Ministry of Aviation to the tune of N599 million.

Sirika is being prosecuted before Justice Sylvanus Oriji, sitting at Maitama, Abuja, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with his daughter, Fatima and son-in-law, Hamma Jalal Sule, and a company purportedly 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.

He was alleged to have abused his office as a minister to confer 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.

These, according to EFCC, are 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 and punishable under the same sections.

However, the former minister and his co-defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them.

At the resumed hearing in the case on Thursday, while being cross examined by counsel for the former minister, Kanu Agabi, the PW12, Christopher Odofin, an investigator with EFCC, told the court that Sirika was not the one who signed the contract award document already before the court as an exhibit.

He further told the court that the former minister was not a member of the ministry’s ministerial tenders board, which he said recommended the winners of the contracts awarded by the Aviation Ministry for approval for his approval.

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According to him, the said document and others, including letter of award of contract for expansion of apron at the Katsina Airport, summary of the 23rd ministerial board meeting of the Ministry of Aviation, and minute of the ministerial tender board meeting, among others, all before the court as exhibits, were signed by the director, Procurement in the ministry, Musa Odiniya, who testified in the ongoing case as PW5.

The witness further told the court that on the face of the contract award document, there was nothing to show that Odiniya ought not to sign it.

The case was subsequently adjourned to October 20 and 28 respectively, for the continuation of cross examination of the witness.