By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, yesterday arraigned a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, Kabiru Turaki, before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
He was arraigned alongside his former Special Assistant, Sampson Okpetu, and two firms- Samtee Essentials Limited and Pasco Investment Limited for corruption charges.
In the charge sheet, the prosecution agency claimed that the ex-Minister used the two companies belonging to his aide, to perpetrate the alleged fraud.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges when read before them.
Sequel to not guilty by the defendants, Justice Inyang Ekwo granted them bail in the terms and conditions of bail earlier granted him by the EFCC.
Justice Ekwo fixed June 22 to commence the trial of the defendants.
Turaki presided over the Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs from 2013 to 2015 and served as the Supervising Minister of Labour from 2014 to 2015 in the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
The SAN is a political ally of the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate in the February 2019 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
He was the second most senior member of Atiku’s legal team in their case that unsuccessfully challenged the victory of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), and the All Progressives Congress in the last presidential.
