The former Governor of Adamawa State, Mr Boni Haruna has been dragged to the Federal High Court sitting in Yola alongside three others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged fraud, conspiracy, forgery, diversion and laundering of public funds while in office to the tune of N200m.
The others arraigned alongside Haruna were his former Personal Assistant, Mr Mohammed Inuwa Basi; his former Finance Commissioner, Mr John Elias and Al-Akim Nigeria Limited, a firm allegedly owned by the former Finance Commissioner.
The case was earlier before Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal High Court, Abuja before it was transferred to the Federal High Court, Yola to be decided upon by Justice Bilkisu Aliyu.
The four accused persons who have been broight to court since 2008 on a 28-count charge of defrauding the state of about N200m when they served as government officials between 2002 and 2003 have since pleaded not guilty.
Counsel to EFCC, Ofem Uket said that the accused persons had within the period in Yola and within the court’s jurisdiction conspired between themselves to perform an illegal act to wit: forgery of bank account opening documents with Guaranty Trust Bank, Yola branch, thus committing an offence contrary to Sections 3 and 6 of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
He also stated that the offences committed by the accused persons according to the 28-count charge is punishable under Section 2 of the same Act.
In the joint count charge, the former Finance Commissioner, Mr Elias John who was also the Managing Director of Al-Akim Nigeria Limited was said to have allegedly used his company as a conduit to siphon millions of naira to facilitate the Bring Boni Back Project, BBBP.
Elias and Al-Akim Nigeria Limited, the third and fourth defendants in the case were absent in court yesterday, but the court ordered that they should appear before it during the next sitting next week’s Thursday so that the trial could be accelerated.