From GODWIN TSA, Abuja

 

An Abuja high court yesterday freed former Minister for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, of charges of abuse of power while in office Justice Sadiq Abubakar Umar who delivered the judgment said the prosecu-tion has failed to establish a Prima facie case against the former minister.

The trial was an offshoot of a petition to EFCC, chronicling allegations of abuse of of.ce against El-Rufai and how he mis-appropriated government land which he allocated to his friends and family members, in .agrant breach of the Abuja Master plan.

El-Rufai was arraigned in 2008 and rearraigned in April, 2011 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside two others for allegedly reallocaing two plots of land previously allocated the PHCN and NIPOST to his family and associates.Others charged with him on an eight count charge are: the former Director General of the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS), Altine Jubril and the former General Manager, AGIS Ismaila Iro.In his ruling the court presided over by Justice Sadiq Umar held that the evidence provided by the prosecution were .awed and .lled with material contradictions.

According to a  petition to the EFCC which ignited the legal action, the former minister, between 2003-2007, allocated ten plots of land in choice areas of Abuja and in various sizes to his family members, including his wife, Hadiza Isma El-Rufai, who got two plots- one in the Aso-koro district and the other in the Kubwa district. Ten other family members and relations were also allo-cated different plots of land at various locations in the FCT.  El-Rufai was granted bail on self-recognition by Justice Umar.

Speaking on the outcome of the case, the former minister said he holds no grudges against his

adversaries’.According to a statement by the ex-minister’s media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye “It is a vindication he never doubted will come, con.-dent in his innocence and the integrity with which he served this country. Despite the magnitude of the pains he has endured, El Rufai has decided to put all this in the past. He intends to move on, stepping con.-dently into the future with forgiveness and goodwill, devoid of the cobwebs of grudge.”

-Sun

Posted by admin on Dec 13 2013. Filed under Abuja (FCT), Headlines, State News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry