The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) plans to araign the immediate past Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, alongside his daughter Fatimah and two other suspects, before Sylvanus Oriji of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.
The charges stem from an alleged N2.7 billion contract fraud uncovered in the Aviation Ministry during Sirika’s tenure as minister.
Sirika, along with his co-defendants Fatimah Sirika, Jalal Hamma, and Al-Duraq Investment Ltd., faces accusations of leveraging their positions to facilitate money laundering activities amounting to over N2.7 billion.
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The embattled former minister, who will make his first court appearance on Thursday, was previously invited by the Abuja Zonal Command of the EFCC for questioning regarding the alleged contract malfeasance. Following interrogation, Sirika was detained at the Formella Street, Wuse 2 Zonal office of the commission.
An EFCC source disclosed that the commission had been probing the alleged contract frauds during Sirika’s tenure and that the former minister had engaged with investigators before his detention.
Originally scheduled for Tuesday, the arraignment was postponed due to an EFCC motion to amend the charge, resulting in the rescheduling of the court proceedings.
The legal proceedings mark a significant step in the EFCC’s efforts to address alleged financial impropriety under the previous administration headed by Mohammadu Buhari.
(Edited by Oludare Mayowa; omayowa@globalfinancialdigest.com; Newsroom: +234 8033 964 138)
