N700m Diezani cash: EFCC pre-arranged ex-Gov Yero, others

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned a former governor of Kaduna State, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero before Justice R.M Aikawa of the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna on an eight count amended charges bordering on money laundering.

The re-arraignment was sequel to the transfer of the former trial judge, Justice M.G Umar, from Kaduna State.

Yero is being prosecuted by the EFCC alongside a former minister, Nuhu Somo Wya, a former Secretary to Kaduna State Government, Ishaq Hamsa, and a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Abubakar Gaiya Haruna, for their alleged involvement in the receipt and disbursement of N700 million paid to them by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election.

At the sitting on Monday, the prosecution counsel, Nasiru Salele, told the court that the case was for re-arraignment of the defendants and urged the court to ask them to take their pleas.

The charges were read to the defendants while they all pleaded “not guilty”.

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One of the amended counts read: “That you, Muktar Ramalan Yero (while being the Executive Governor of Kaduna state), Nuhu Somo Wya (whilst being a former minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria) and Abubakar Gaiya Haruna ( whilst being the chairman people’s Democratic Party (PDP), Kaduna State Chapter, sometimes in 2015 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court (Federal High Court) did conspire among yourselves to commit a felony to wit: indirectly taking possession of the sum of N700,000,000.00 ( Seven Hundred Million Naira) which you ought to have known forms part of unlawful activity to wit; bribery and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition Act 2011 (as amended) in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”

Another count read: “That you Mukhtar Ramalan Yero ( whilst being the Executive Governor of Kaduna state), Nuhu Somo Wya (whilst being a former minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria), Ishaq Hamza (whilst being the secretary to the Kaduna state government), and Abubakar Gaiya Haruna (whilst being the chairman people’s Democratic Party (PDP), Kaduna State Chapter, sometimes in 2015 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court (Federal High Court) did indirectly take possession of the aggregate sum of N700,000,000.00 ( Seven Hundred Million Naira),which you reasonably ought to have known forms parts of the proceeds of unlawful activity to wit: bribery and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011( as amended) in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”

Following their pleas, the defence counsel, Yunus Ustaz Usman, urged the court to extend to the defendants, the terms of the bail earlier granted them by the former judge.

The prosecution counsel, Nasiru Salele, appearing with M.E Eimonye and P.C Onyeneho, did not object to the application.

Justice Umar granted bail to the defendants on the same terms earlier offered them by the court.

The judge, therefore, adjourned the case till January 16, 17, and 18, 2023, for trial.

The Star