Abuja high court dismisses charges against former minister of special duties and inter-governmental affairs

FORMER minister of special duties and inter-governmental affairs Alhaji Kabiru Turaki has been discharged by an Abuja federal high court and acquitted of money laundering after the judge ruled that the prosecution could not establish a prima facie case against him.

Alhaji Turaki who served between 2013 and 2015, is the first lawyer from Kebbi State to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and was appointed as the Dan Masanin Gwandu by the Emir of Gwandu in 2002. Currently a member of the Peoples Democratic Party's board of trustees, Alhaji Turaki was also appointed as the chairman of the Nigerian Copyright Commission by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2012.

In court today, Justice Inyang Ekwo ruling on the no-case submission filed by the defence, said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had failed to link Alhaji Turaki and his co-defendants with the offences contained in the 16-count charge. He said that the prosecution could not establish a prima facie case against them.

Justice Ekwo ruled that the defendants dislodged all the evidence of the prosecution witnesses called in the matter during cross-examination, describing the 12 witnesses relied on by the EFCC as tainted. Also, the judge said that it was established during cross-examination that Alhaji Turaki was not a signatory to the account of the ministry and did not authorise any payments or make any transfer of funds.

He aligned with the argument that the former minister was not a member of the Ministerial Tender Board and that there was no inflow of funds from the account of the ministry to Alhaji Turaki’s company. In prosecuting, the EFCC had, in the 16-count charge, accused the ex-minister and others of unlawful and criminal misappropriation of N715m.