By Abiola Olawale
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has continued to present a series of witnesses before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) high court, aimed at substantiating its allegations against the immediate past Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who is facing multi-billionaire corruption charges.
This is as a witness on Monday testified in court that Sirika allegedly awarded a contract to Al Buraq Global Investment Limited, a company allegedly connected to his son-in-law, Jalal Sule Hamma, despite the fact that the company was not reportedly deemed qualified for the contract.
The testimony was part of a larger case where Sirika, along with his daughter Fatima and son-in-law Jalal, are facing charges of contract fraud amounting to over N2.8 billion.
The witness, Musa Odiniyan, a retired director in the procurement department of the Ministry of Aviation, in his testimony, said that if the contract had been subjected to an open competitive bidding process, Al Buraq would not have been qualified.
This has led to allegations of misuse of office and improper influence peddling in the award of contracts.
The witness also claimed that 100% payment was made upfront for the project at Katsina Airport, which was meant to be completed before the end of the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
He stated before the court: “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 time of issuing the contract letter to the company (Al Buraq) was at the twilight of the Buhari administration. That was why the contract had a period of six months.
“The reason for the prompt payment (for the contract) was for it to be completed and inaugurated before the exit of the Buhari administration and not for the purpose of variation.”
The judge adjourned the matter till March 10, 2025, for continuation of witness cross-examination.
