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From Godwin Tsa Abuja
The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has granted the former minister of aviation, Hadi Sirika, and his brother, Ahmad Abubakar Sirika, bail in the sum of N100 million each and two sureties.
Justice Suleiman Belgore, who attached further conditions to the bail, said one of the sureties must own a property within the FCT. They are not to travel outside the country without first obtaining the permission of the court upon filing a formal application.
The defendants, who were accused, in a 10-count fresh charge by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), of complicity in a N19.4 billion airport contract scam, pleaded not guilty to the charge that was read to them before Justice Suleiman Belgore. The former minister was arraigned alongside Ahmad and a company, Enginos Nigeria Limited.
Earlier, Sirika, his daughter, Fatima, and his son-in-law, Jalal Sule Hamma, had, on May 9, secured N100 million bail each from the Abuja High Court at Maitama, over their alleged involvement in a phantom N2.7 billion Nigerian Air contract scam.
But, in a fresh charge, the EFCC alleged that Sirika had, while in office as a minister, used his position to confer an unfair advantage on Enginos Nigeria Limited, whose alter ego was his biological brother, Ahmad. He was accused of using his position to influence the award of contract for the construction of a terminal building at the Katsina Airport, for the sum of over N1.3 billion to his brother.
Some of the counts in the charge against the defendants, read: “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 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 the Katsina airport for the sum of N1.345 billion 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.
“That you, Hadi Sirika, while being 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 the Katsina airport for the sum of N3.811 billion 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.
