BY Bolanle Olabimtan
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned Mukhtar Yero, former governor of Kaduna, over allegations of fraud.
The former governor was first arraigned in May 2018 by the EFCC.
However, M.G. Umar, the judge who presided over the case, was transferred.
On Monday, Yero was re-arraigned alongside Nuhu Wya, a former minister; Ishaq Hamsa, a former secretary to the Kaduna state government, and Abubakar Haruna, a former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
They were re-arraigned before Rilwanu Aikawa, judge of a federal high court in Kaduna, on an eight-count amended charge bordering on money laundering.
According to the EFCC, the defendants were allegedly involved in the receipt and disbursement of the sum of N700 million paid to them by Diezani Alison-Madueke, former minister of petroleum resources, to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election.
Upon re-arraignment, the defendants pleaded ‘not guilty’ to all the charges.
Following their pleas, Yunus Usman, the defence counsel, prayed the court to allow the defendants remain on the terms of bail granted to them by the previous judge.
There was no objection from the prosecution.
Consequently, the judge granted bail to the defendants on the same terms earlier offered them by the court
The case has been adjourned till January 2023 for trial.
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