FORMER Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has spent his second night in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, over an ongoing N8,069,176,864.00 money laundering probe.
This was as the anti-graft commission began a probe into the alleged fraud involved in the botched Nigeria Air project.
Top EFCC sources privy to the interrogation but were not authorised to speak publicly, confirmed that the EFCC interrogators grilled Mr Sirika over the botched Nigeria Air project that has stirred controversy across the country.
“The interrogators are also probing Mr Sirika over the controversial Nigeria Air project that failed. Though the commission is yet to uncover the total amount that was expended on the project, however, investigation is ongoing, and Sirika would be arraigned in court next week as charges are being prepared against him,” a source revealed.
Another source noted, “The former Minister of Aviation is still with us. Sirika slept over here at our FCT Command on Tuesday night and he’s still with us this Wednesday night, as he’s still being grilled by interrogators.”
The EFCC had earlier uncovered how the Aviation Ministry under Mr Sirika allegedly awarded several fraudulent contracts to two different companies, one of which belongs to his younger brother, Abubakar Sirika.
The indicted former Minister of Aviation arrived at the Federal Capital Territory Command of the EFCC at about 1:00 pm on Tuesday, this newspaper had reported.
Our correspondent, who was at the Wuse office of the EFCC on Tuesday, observed the arrival of the embattled former minister at the anti-graft agency’s Abuja office.
Following his arrival at the command, Sirika is currently meeting with EFCC investigators to answer questions on alleged fraudulent contracts awarded by him to a company known as Engirios Nigeria Limited, owned by his younger sibling, Abubakar Sirika.
“Yes, that was Hadi Sirika who was taken into our FCT custody. He is currently meeting with EFCC investigators over the alleged N8,069,176,864.00 aviation ministry contract fraud,” a source revealed.
