A former Minister of special duties and inter-governmental affairs, Kabiru Turaki has pleaded not guilty to a 16-count charge of unlawful and criminal misappropriation of funds leveled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
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Turaki was arraigned alongside his former special assistant, Sampson Okpetu, and 2 firms, namely SAMTEE essentials limited and PASCO investment limited before a federal high court in abuja .
The EFCC alleged that the former minister used the 2 companies belonging to his aide, to perpetrate fraud including the unlawful transfer of funds to relatives.
After the plea of the accused were taken, the defense counsel, Joe-Kyari Gadzama in a bail application urged the court to grant the defendants bail in existing bail conditions earlier granted by the anti graft agency.
And that the trial billed to commence on the 22nd of June is an opportunity for the defendants to prove their innocence.
The trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo granted the application in the terms with existing administrative bail earlier granted and fixed June 22 to commence the trial.
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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.
The former minister is a political ally of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP presidential candidate in the 2019 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar and also contested for the presidential ticket of the opposition party in the last general elections.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
