July 13, (THEWILL) – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, re-arraigned a former Governor of Kaduna State, Muktar Ramalan Yero, before Justice M.G. Umar of the Federal High Court, Kaduna, on an eight-count amended charge of money laundering.
Yero is being prosecuted by the EFCC alongside a former Minister, Nuhu Somo Wya, a former Secretary to Kaduna State Government, Ishaq Hamsa, and a former State Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Abubakar Gaiya Haruna, for their alleged involvement in the sharing of N700,000,000 provided by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election.
Their re-arraignment followed the transfer of the former trial Judge, Justice Zainab B. Abubakar, to another division of the Federal High Court.
When the case was mentioned, the prosecuting counsel, Nasiru Salele, told the court that the case was for re-arraignment of the defendants and urged the court to ask them to take their pleas.
The defence counsel did not object.
The eight count charges were read to the defendants and they all pleaded, “Not guilty.”
In view of their pleas, the prosecuting counsel asked the court to fix a date for trial.
But the defence counsel drew the attention of the court to the previous bail granted the defendants, asking that the status quo be sustained, which the prosecution counsel did not oppose.
The court consequently adopted the bail earlier granted to the defendants and adjourned till October 13, 2021 for commencement of trial.
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