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From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
Kano State Public Complaints and Anti- Corruption Commission (PCACC) has arrested the former Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure in the state, Idris Wada Saleh over alleged fraud.
The former Commissioner, who was also the Managing Director of the Kano State Road Maintenance Agency, was picked up on Monday evening in the state capital.
He was accused of withdrawing over N1 billion in three installments from the state coffers for the rehabilitation of 30 roads and drainages within the state capital but failed to execute same.
Also held in connection with the allegation were the Permanent Secretary, Public Procurement Bureau, Mustapha Madaki Haguna, the Director of Finance and the Director of Research and Planning in addition to two others.
Briefing the media, Tuesday, the Chairman of the Commission, Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado said the sum of N1 billion was withdrawn in April on the instruction of the commissioner and paid to three bogus companies who failed to execute any project.
He explained that officials from the Bureau for Public Procurement were also arrested because they issued a certificate -of no-objection in respect of an unexecuted contract contrary to the provision of the law.
He noted that under normal circumstance, a certificate of no objection ought to be issued in advance of any payment but in this case, it was issued one month after the withdrawal of the said fund and was certainly issued as an after – thought to cover up a crime.
He disclosed that the suspects had been coperative with his office, adding that some had confessed that they knew they wrong but obeyed the instruction in order to save their jobs.
Muhuyi indicated that they were likely to make additional arrest, insisting that some characters were behind the alleged crime.
“This is only a tip on the icebag… Certainly investigation will uncover a lot of things”, he declared.
