Former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Kabiru Turaki, on Monday, expressed happiness over the decision of a Federal High Court, Abuja, exonerating him of criminal charges against him.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had dragged Turaki and other co-defendants to court over allegations bordering on money laundering.
The former minister and others had filed a no-case submission, arguing that the EFCC had been unable to establish evidence against them, and Justice Inyang Ekwo, on Jan. 17, fixed today for ruling on the application.
NAN, however, reports that the presiding judge, Ekwo, on Monday, discharged and acquitted the ex-minister and others of the charge, saying the anti-graft agency had failed to establish a prima facie case against them.
Meanwhile in a statement personally signed by him on Monday, Turaki said he was happy the court had finally vindicated him.
“Alhamdulillah Rabbil Alamin, Allah indeed is worthy to be praised!
“Dear Nigerians, join me to celebrate as I won my case against EFCC this morning.
“In a landmark ruling delivered by Justice Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja, he said my prosecution was not only illegal, null and void but unconstitutional.
“He said there is no iota of evidence against me to warrant me to be called upon to enter any defense.
“He reviewed the so-called evidence adduced by the EFCC and said it did not establish the ingredients of any of the 16 charges they filed against me.
“He made a resounding finding that apart from the fact that all the prosecution ‘material’ witnesses are tainted because they are the culprits who were found to have engaged in brazen acts of corruption and misappropriation of public funds, EFCC refused to charge them in court, but brought them to testify against me.
“In any case, he said all of them have exonerated me of any wrongdoing, as they said in their respective testimonies that I was neither the chief accounting officer of the ministry nor a signatory to the accounts of the ministry.
“That I was not also a member of the ministerial tenders board, and have not authorised any money to be paid to me or any other person for that matter.
“The judge concluded that not only were their testimonials seriously discredited under the barrage of cross-examination fire but that indeed it is so manifestly unbelievable that no reasonable tribunal could rely on the same.
“In consequence of these infallible findings of fact, the judge discharged and acquitted me on all the 16 charges filed against me,” he said.
NAN reports that other defendants in the matter are Sampson Okpetu, who served as his special assistant; Samtee Essentials Limited and Pasco Investment Limited — companies linked to Okpetu.
The anti-corruption agency had called 12 witnesses in the course of the trial.
