By Uche Amunike
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned the Katsina Deputy Accountant General, Saadu Maiwada and Sani Lawal at the Katsina State High Court before Justice Musa Danladi, on a 5-count charge of conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.
Speaking, through a statement released by the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, the duo allegedly committed the crimes while they were Sub-Treasurer and Deputy Sub-Treasurers, respectively, in the office of Accountant General of Katsina State. They allegedly conspired and converted a total of N289 million naira from the coffers of Katsina state to their personal use in 2017.
According to investigations, both men laundered the stolen funds through the account of a company called Integrated Gas Services Limited, where the first defendant, Maiwada, occupied the position of Director.
They allegedly transferred a total of 49 million naira from the account of Integrated Gas Services Limited to the personal account of the second defendant, Lawal BK, who is currently the Deputy Accountant General of Katsina state.
One of the charges read: ‘That you, Saadu Miawada and Sani Lawal BK sometime in 2017 at Katsina within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court while being entrusted with dominion over money belonging to Katsina State Government dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N120,790,942.86 (One Hundred and Twenty Million, Seven Hundred Ninety Thousand, Nine Hundred and Forty-two Naira, Eighty-six Kobo) which was transferred from Katsina State Government Sub -Treasury Expenditure Account number 1012424374 domiciled in United Bank for Africa (UBA) PLC to Integrated Gas Services Company Limited’s Fidelity Bank account no 4010693761 (CO1717299) and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 297 of the Penal Code Law of Katsina State 2021.’
Both defendants pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to them. In view of their pleas, the prosecuting council, Aisha Tahar Habib, pleaded that the court should give them a trial date.
On their part, the counsel for the defendants, J B Israel, orally applied for bail on behalf of his clients. The prosecution, however objected and asked for a formal application, saying that the court is a court of record.
Justice Danladi, however, admitted them to bail in the sum of N5,000,000 naira each and ordered that each defendant must provide a landed property within Katsina as surety and also present letters of introduction from a traditional ruler.
The case was adjourned to July 24th, 2023 for trial.
On another note, Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Hon. Tasiu Maigari, has announced the dissolution of the 7th Assembly.
Shortly after delivering his valedictory speech, Tasiu announced the dissolution and described members of the 7th Assembly as one of the best ever, in Katsina state.
He admitted that 54 bills were passed in the last four years by lawmakers in the 7th Assembly and that the Masari administration assented to about 80% of them.
He also said that about 324 motions were also passed, out of which 74 of them were executed by the executive.
He named some of the bills passed to include ‘the Katsina State House of Assembly Commission law, which discriminates against persons with disability; the Revenue Harmonization Law, as well as the law promoting children’s access to basic education and connected matters.
