EFCC arraigns ex-minister Tanimu Turaki ‘for fraud’
NEWS DIGEST – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday arraigned a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, Kabiru Turaki, before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
He was arraigned alongside his former Special Assistant, Sampson Okpetu, and two firms- Samtee Essentials Limited and Pasco Investment Limited – for corruption charges.
EFCC alleged that the ex-Minister used the two companies belonging to his aide, to perpetrate the alleged fraud.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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The defendants were subsequently granted bail by Justice Inyang Ekwo in the terms and conditions of bail earlier granted him by the EFCC.
Justice Ekwo fixed June 22 to commence the trial of the defendants.
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 in the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration
The SAN is a political ally of the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate in the February 2019 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
He was the second most senior member of Atiku’s legal team in their case that unsuccessfully challenged the victory of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), and the All Progressives Congress in the last presidential poll.
