The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will today (Thursday) arraign the former minister of aviation and aerospace development, Mr Hadi Sirika, and his daughter, Fatima, and two others for an alleged N2.7 billion fraud in connection with the botched Nigerian Air project.
The other defendants in the matter are Sirika’s daughter, Fatima, Jalal Hamma and Al-Buraq Investment Ltd.
The accused will be arraigned before Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja.
The EFCC, in the charges, accused Sirika of conferring undue advantage on some entities between April 2022 and March 2023 in Abuja.
The anti-graft agency alleged that Sirika abused his office by awarding consultancy N1.3bn contract for the Nigerian Air Start-up to Tianero Nigeria Limited.
The EFCC said the ex-minister acted contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
In another count, the anti-graft agency alleged that on or about August 18, 2022 in Abuja, Sirika did use his position “to confer unfair advantage upon Al Buraq Global Investment Limited, whose alter ego, Fatima Hadi Sirika and Jalal Sule Hamma are your daughter and son-in-law respectively, by using your position to influence the award to them, the contract for the Apron Extension at Katsina Airport for the sum of N1.498, 300,750.00.”
The commission contended that by some doing, Sirika violated Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and was liable to punishment under the same section.
In count three, the EFCC accused Sirika of criminal breach of trust “while being the minister of aviation and in such capacity as a public officer on or about August 18, 2022, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court.”
