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Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday arraigned a former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, Kabiru Turaki, before the Abuja division of the Federal High Court.
Turaki, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was arraigned alongside his former Special Assistant, Sampson Okpetu, and two firms – Samtee Essentials Limited and Pasco Investment Limited – over alleged acts of corruption.
In the charge, the anti-graft agency alleged that the ex-minister used the two companies belonging to his aide to perpetrate the alleged fraud.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The defendants were subsequently granted bail by Justice Inyang Ekwo in the terms and conditions of bail earlier granted him by the EFCC.
Justice Ekwo fixed June 22nd to commence the trial of the defendants.
Turaki presided over the Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs from 2013 to 2015 and served as the Supervising Minister of Labour from 2014 to 2015 in the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration
The SAN is a political ally of the People’s Democratic Party’s presidential candidate in the February 2019 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
He was the second most senior member of Atiku’s legal team in a case that unsuccessfully challenged the victory of the President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress in the last presidential election.
