ICPC Amends Charge, Drops Co-Defendant in El-Rufai Trial
* Court adjourns hearing on bail till April 14
John Shiklam in Kaduna
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Monday arraigned former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, before the state High Court on a fresh nine-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office and corruption.
El-Rufai was brought to the court premises on Monday amid very tight security.
Access to the courtroom was restricted as journalists were denied entry during the proceedings.
It was gathered that the original charge included one Amadu Sule as co-defendant in the matter.
However, his name was removed following an amendment of the charge by the prosecution.
Sources said Sule was dropped from the charge on grounds of ill health. He is said to be undergoing medical treatment at a medical facility operated by a security agency.
Counsel to El-Rufai, Ubong Akpan, confirmed the amended nine-count charge in an interview after the court session.
He said that the amended charge now leaves only El-Rufai to face prosecution alone.
Akpan explained that the court took arguments on El-Rufai’s bail application and also recorded the plea of the defendant.
He said hearing could not proceed as the defence was served with the amended charges in court during the sitting.
He stated that: “The legal team would review the fresh charges before determining the next line of action.”
The presiding judge, Darius Khobo, adjourned the matter till Tuesday, April 14 for hearing on the bail application.
Details of the amended charge showed that the former governor is being accused of allegedly authorising the release of about N11 billion of Kaduna State funds to an unregistered entity for a light rail project that was allegedly not executed.
The ICPC further alleged that El-Rufai approved and received about N289.8 million as severance benefits, an amount said to be far in excess of the legally approved entitlement, thereby conferring undue advantage on himself.
He was also accused of mismanaging over $1.08 million, being part of a World Bank facility granted to the state, in breach of the terms governing the loan.
The ICPC also alleged that the former governor conspired with an associate, said to be at large, to offer financial inducement to federal investigators with a view to influencing an ongoing probe involving a private company.
Other counts included the alleged irregular award of a N4.6 billion closed-circuit television contract within Kaduna metropolis in violation of procurement regulations, as well as conferring undue benefit on an associate through the said contract.
He was further accused of alleged fraudulent land transactions as governor including the revocation and subsequent reallocation of land along the Kaduna-Zaria bypass to favour an associate and related entities.
El-Rufai had at an earlier sitting, denied all the allegations.
