The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today charged Saadu Maiwada and Sani Lawal BK with conspiracy and criminal breach of trust in a five-count indictment before Justice Musa Danladi of the Katsina State High Court.
The defendants reportedly plotted and converted N289,000,000 (two hundred and eighty-nine million naira) from Katsina State’s funds while serving as Sub Treasurer and Deputy Sub Treasurer in the office of the Accountant General of Katsina State.
The investigation revealed that the defendants laundered the stolen funds through the account of Integrated Gas Services Limited, a company where the first defendant (Maiwada) is a director. The sum of N49, 000,000 was also allegedly transferred from the account of Integrated Gas Services Limited to the personal account of the second defendant (Lawal BK), who is now the Deputy Accountant General of the state.
One of the charges reads, “That you, Saadu Miawada and Sani Lawal BK sometime in 2017 at Katsina within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court while being entrusted with dominion over money belonging to Katsina State Government dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N120,790,942.86 (One Hundred and Twenty Million, Seven Hundred Ninety Thousand, Nine Hundred and Forty-two Naira, Eighty-six Kobo) which was transferred from Katsina State Government Sub -Treasury Expenditure Account number 1012424374 domiciled in United Bank for Africa (UBA) PLC to Integrated Gas Services Company Limited’s Fidelity Bank account no 4010693761 (CO1717299) and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 297 of the Penal Code Law of Katsina State 2021”.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.
In view of their pleas, counsel for the prosecution, Aisha Tahar Habib, prayed to the court for a trial date.
Counsel for the defendants, J. B. Israel, made an oral bail application on behalf of his clients, but the prosecution objected, demanding a formal application as the court is a court of record.
Justice Danladi, however, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N5, 000,000 (five million naira) each. The court ordered that each defendant must provide a surety with a landed property within Katsina and present letters of introduction from a traditional ruler.
The matter was adjourned until July 24, 2023, for trial.
