- A former governor of Kaduna state, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, has been re-arraigned by the EFCC
- The former governor was re-arraigned by the anti-graft agency for money laundering and criminal diversion of funds
- Yero was re-arraigned before Justice ZB Abubakar of the Federal High Court in Kaduna
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned the former governor of Kaduna state, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, for money laundering and criminal diversion of funds.
Also re-arraigned with the ex governor were former minister of state, Nuhu Somo Waya; former Kaduna state Peoples Democratic Party chairman, Abubakar Haruna Gaya, and the former secretary to the state government, Hamza Ishaq, NAN reports.
Legit.ng gathers that they were arraigned before Justice ZB Abubakar of the Federal High Court in Kaduna, on Tuesday, November 27, on an eight-count amended charge for criminal diversion of N700 million.
Their prosecution began after investigations revealed that the accused persons allegedly benefited in the $115 million diverted by former minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison Madueke, which was shared to politicians and election officials in the 36 states of the federation to influence the result of the 2015 presidential election.
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Investigations further revealed that Kaduna state got over N700 million in two installments.
The money was received by the trio of Waya, Gaya and Ishaq on behalf of the state for onward delivery to INEC staff spread across the 23 local government areas of the state.
All defendants pleaded not guilty to all the eight count charge. Upon their pleas, counsel to the EFCC, Joshua Saidi, prayed the court to fix a date for commencement of trial.
But Yunus Ustaz Usman, representing the defendants, appealed that all defendants should be admitted to the existing bail granted to them when they were first arraigned earlier in the year by the court.
The court ruled that since all defendants have already been granted bail without any hitch, she would rely on the existing conditions. She therefore ruled that the former bail conditions remain valid and should stand.
The re-arraignment of the accused persons was as a result of the transfer of Justice SM Shuaibu to another jurisdiction.
Justice Abubakar, however, adjourned the case till Monday, January 24, 2019, for commencement of trial.
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Legit.ng previously reported that a former governor of Kaduna, Ramalan Yero, spent about four hours at the office of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) in the state on Friday, May 25. He was interrogated over an alleged N700 million campaign funds scandal.
Yero was at the EFCC office in Kaduna from around 9am till about 1:30pm when he walked out smiling.
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The EFCC stage a walk against corruption | Legit TV
Source: Legit.ng