SURE-P funds: AGF denies stalling trial of ex-Katsina officials
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has refuted reports linking him with the termination of the trial of former officials of the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P) in Katsina State over alleged mismanagement of N5.7 billion. Justice Bako, on November 27, terminated the trial of a former Special […]
FILE PHOTO: Abubakar Malami.
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has refuted reports linking him with the termination of the trial of former officials of the Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P) in Katsina State over alleged mismanagement of N5.7 billion.
Justice Bako, on November 27, terminated the trial of a former Special Adviser in the Katsina State Sure-P office, Nasiru Salisu Ingawa, a former Director of Accounts and Finance, Sure-P department, Abdulazeez Abdullahi Shinkafi, and Chief Store Officer, Katsina State Civil Service, Bello Ibrahim Bindawa, over the non-production of the case file.
In a statement yesterday by the AGF’s spokesman, Salihu Othman Isah, he said contrary to reports, at no time did the AGF direct the ICPC to hand over the file to the Katsina State Government.
The AGF said in reply to a letter by the Katsina State Attorney General, Ahmed El-Marzuq, dated August 28, 2018, requesting fiat to transfer the case file from the ICPC, which the AGF’s office replied thus: “I am further directed to inform you that after a careful study of your request, it is the directive of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation that the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) be allowed to continue the prosecution of the case.”
The statement further explained that El-Marzuq wrote another letter stating that: “I wish to further seek for the intervention of your office to facilitate the release of the case files, in respect of the above mentioned cases to me, by the ICPC for the reasons stated in our earlier letter referenced NO. MOJ/KT/CON.10/VOL. of 20th March, 2017, that is to say, to enable the me (sic) to discontinue criminal proceedings against the accused persons and turn them to state witnesses in respect of charge NO. FHC/KT/26C/2017 FRN VS Ibrahim Shehu Shema (Copy attached).”