The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is set to arraign former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, his daughter, Fatimah, and two other suspects in court on Thursday.
The embattled former Minister would be arraigned for trial for the first time, before Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.
Sirika is billed to appear in court with his three co-defendants, his daughter, Fatima; one Jalal Hamma, and Al-Duraq Investment Ltd, on charges of abusing their positions to launder over N2.7 billion.
He will be arraigned alongside three others, including his daughter, Fatima; Jalal Hamma and Al-Duraq Investment Ltd, for abuse of office to the tune of N2.7 billion.
As part of EFCC investigations into the financial malfeasance allegedly committed by the former minister, “including fraudulent contracts awarded by the Ministry under his watch”, led to his detention on April 23 in Abuja.
Sirika was invited by the Abuja Zonal Command of the Commission on the alleged contract malfeasance and was promptly interrogated and detained at the Formella Street, Wuse 2 Zonal office of the Commission.
“The former minister (Sirika) was invited for questioning by investigators handling the alleged contract frauds under his watch in the ministry. He honoured the invitation and has been detained as I am talking with you,” a source in the EFCC who pleaded anonymity, told NAN’’.
The source also said that EFCC had been investigating the alleged contract frauds while the minister was in office, and he had even met with investigators before he was detained.