Hadi Sirika, former minister of Aviation, alongside his daughter, Fatima on Thursday were at the Federal High Court in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja where they will be arraigned for an alleged fraud in connection with the botched Nigerian Air project.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) has slammed six counts on the former minister, his daughter, and two others.
The EFCC in its X handle @officialEFCC gave details of the six charges to include the following:
“Hadi Sirika, while being minister of aviation used his position to confer unfair advantage upon Tianaero Nigeria Limited whose alter ego, Gabriel Tilmann is his associate, by using his position to influence the award to them, the consultancy contract for the Nigeria Air startup and extension of same for the sum of one billion, three hundred and twenty six million, seven hundred and thirty one thousand, four hundred and seventy naira, ninety seven kobo only.
“Hadi Sirika, while being minister of aviation used his position to confer unfair advantage upon Al Buraq Global Investment Ltd whose alter ego, Fatima Hadi Sirika and Jalal Sule Hamma are his daughter and son-in-law respectively, by using his position to influence the award to them, the contract for the apron extension of Katsina airport for the sum of one billion, four hundred and ninety eight million, three hundred thousand, seven hundred and fifty naira only.
“Hadi Sirika, while being minister of aviation and in such capacity as public officer entrusted with certain capacity the sum of one billion, four hundred and ninety eight million, three hundred thousand, seven hundred and fifty naira only, by being dishonestly connected with the illegal award contract for the apron extension of Katsina airport to and for the benefit of Al Buraq Global Investment Ltd whose alter ego, Fatima Hadi Sirika and Jalal Sule Hamma are his daughter and son-in-law respectively.
“Hadi Sirika, while being minister of aviation, Fatima Hadi Sirika while being a public servant and an employee of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company, NNPC and Jalal Sule Hamma, while a public servant and an employee of Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, did knowing hold indirectly private interest in the contract for the apron extension at Katsina airport for the sum of one billion, four hundred and ninety eight million, three hundred thousand, seven hundred and fifty naira only.
“Fatima Hadi Sirika, Jalal Sule Hamma and Al Buraq Global Investment Ltd had possession of an aggregate sum of one billion, three hundred and ten million, one hundred and forty-two thousand fifty-one naira, fifteen kobo, only which sum they knew represented the proceeds of the criminal conduct of Hadi Sirika who was the minister of aviation at that time.
“Hadi Sirika, while being minister of aviation, as a public officer entrusted with certain property to the sum of one billion, three hundred and twenty-six million, seven hundred and thirty one thousand,four hundred and seventy naira, ninety seven kobo only, being connected to the illegal award of the consultancy contract for the Nigeria Air start-up and extension of same to and for the benefit of Tianaero Nigeria Limited whose alter ego is Gabriel Tilmann is his associate.
Sirika has however pleaded not guilty to the alleged corrupt practices brought against him by the Federal Government.
Justice Sylvanus Oriji admitted the three defendants on bail for ₦100m and two sureties each in the like sum.
The daughter and son-in-law also pleaded not guilty to the six-count charges when read to them.
The judge ordered that the defendants must not travel out of the country without express permission of the court.
