Isaiah Yesufu, a director of certification, compliance and monitoring at the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), testified against former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika on Monday.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged Mr Sirika and his brother, Ahmad and two companies with abuse of office and contract fraud.

The contract was for the construction of the terminal building at Katsina Airport.

Mr Yesufu, a prosecution witness, said this in his evidence at the trial of the former minister that the BPP was not aware of the split in the contract.

They are being prosecuted on a 10-count charge before Justice Suleiman Belgore on abuse of office, criminal breach of trust, and use of position for gratification.

The anti-graft commission alleged that the former minister awarded various contracts to his younger brother to the tune of about N19.4 billion.

The EFCC alleged that Mr Sirika did confer an unfair advantage upon Enginos Nigeria Limited, whose alter ego is his biological brother, Mr Ahmad, by using his position to influence the award of a contract for the construction of a terminal building at Katsina airport to the tune of ₦1,345,586,500.

It further alleged that the former minister used his position to influence the award of a contract for establishing a Fire Truck Maintenance and Refurbishment Centre at Katsina Airport for N3,811,497,685.

EFCC also alleged that Mr Ahmad and Enginos Nigeria Limited had possession of the aggregate sum of ₦2,337,840,674.16, which they knew indirectly represented the proceeds of the former minister’s criminal conduct.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them.

Testifying, Mr Yesufu told the court that a bidder for any contract must submit an affidavit stating that the company has no relationship with the procuring entity.

“If there is a relationship, this shall amount to a conflict of interest and should be disclosed.

“The affected officer of either the procuring entity or the BPP will recuse himself from participating in the process (of award of the contract),” Mr Yesufu told the court.

He said that in the case of the award of a contract for the construction of a terminal building for the Katsina airport, the Ministry of Aviation sought approval to adopt a restricted tendering method due to time constraints.

He added that approval was granted in favour of five companies, including Enginos Nigeria Limited.

Mr Yesufu further told the court that after the approval was granted, the ministry completed the procurement process and awarded two contracts:

According to him, one of the contracts was in favour of Enginos, and the second was in favour of Al-Buraq.

“The Bureau was not aware of how a single contract, titled ‘Construction of Katsina airport terminal building and apron’, was eventually awarded as two separate contracts.”

“I became aware of the split of the contract when I was invited by EFCC, where I made the statement,” he said.

The witness told the court that Enginos Nigeria Limited was awarded the contract to construct the Katsina airport terminal building at N1,345,586,500.

At this point, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), prayed for an adjournment to enable him to sort out some documents, to which the other parties did not object.

Mr Belgore subsequently adjourned until April 8 to continue PW3’s evidence. 

(NAN)