The Fifth Prosecution Witness, PW5, Musa Odiniyan, said the company, Al Buraq Global Investment was not qualified for the contract awarded for the repairs of Katsina Airport.
The company was awarded the contract under the leadership of former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika.
Odiniyan is a retired director in the Procurement Department, Ministry of Aviation.
The witness told Justice S. C. Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court during Sirika’s trial on Monday, January 27, 2025.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Sirika and three others: Fatima Hadi Sirika, Jalal Sule Hamma, and Al Buraq Global Investment on six-count amended charges.
Sirika and others are charged with contract fraud to the tune of over N2.8 billion.
The EFCC made this known in a statement issued via its X handle, @officialEFCC, on Monday, January 27.
The witness said the company could not have qualified for the bidding process or the contract award if open and competitive bidding was done.
He stated this during a cross-examination by counsel to the fourth defendant Michael Numa, SAN.
“We use some criteria for determining the award of contracts for companies. I still maintain that if it was an open competitive bidding, the company Al Buraq may not have qualified.”
“The reason for that payment was for the project to be implemented and commissioned before the exit of the former president. It was not for variation. The accounting officer sourced money from every relevant route to actualize the project. The N800million is a budgetary allowance to support the actualization of the project.”
Odiniya also told the court that two of the ministry’s contracts awarded to Alburak and Enginos on the Apron and Terminal Building of Katsina Airport respectively, were captured under two different budget codes but appeared in a single code in the Procurement Department.
Justice Oriji adjourned the matter till March 10, 2025, for the continuation of the cross-examination.
Ex-Buhari’s minister, 3 others get N400m bail
Legit.ng earlier reported that former minister of aviation under ex-president Muhammadu Buhari has been granted a bail of N100 million by the federal high court in Abuja.
The court also granted similar bail to his daughter, Fatimah, one Jalal Hamma and Al-Duraq Investment Ltd.
The EFCC has arraigned the former minister, his daughter, and two others over the allegation of fraud worth ₦2.7bn.