The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, July 13, 2021, 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; former Secretary to Kaduna State Government, Ishaq Hamsa and former Chairman of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Abubakar Gaiya Haruna, for their alleged involvement in the sharing N700 million provided by the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election.
According to the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement, 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 had told the court that the case was for re-arraignment of the defendants, urging it to ask them to take their pleas, which the defence counsel did not object.
After reading the eight-count charge to the defendants, they had all pleaded not guilty, and in view of their pleas, the prosecuting counsel asked the court to fix a date for trial.
When the defence counsel when he drew the attention of the court to the previous bail granted the defendants, asking that the status quo be sustained, the prosecution counsel did not object to it.
The court consequently adopted the bail earlier granted the defendants and adjourned till October 13 for commencement of trial.
