The arraignment of the suspended National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Abdullahi Ganduje, was on Wednesday stalled due to the inability of the Kano State Government to serve him with court papers.
Ganduje, alongside his wife,Hafsat Umar, Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited and Lasage General Enterprises Limited were to be arraigned on eight counts of bribery allegations, Misappropriation and division of public funds running into billions of Niara against the defendants.
When the case of alleged misappropriation of funds and bribery was mentioned on Wednesday in court, the Prosecution Counsel, Y A Adamu, told the court that all attempts made to serve the respondents failed.
The Prosecution made attempts to move an exparte motion application, seeking to serve the respondents through substituted means, but counsel to the 6th defendant, Nureini Jimoh SAN, told the court that the prosecution did not personally serve his client.
He contended that there is no provision for exparte motion in a criminal matter as such it is only valid in civil cases
He raised an objected to the motion exparte by the Prosecution seeking to serve the respondents through substituted means.
The trial judge, Justice Usman Na’abba thereafter said that the respondents should be put on notice and adjourned the matter until April 29 2024 for hearing on motion on notice.
The 1st to 8th respondents were absent in court when the matter came up for mention on wednesday.
(Editor : Ena Agbanoma)
