Katsina High Court Reserves Ruling On Shema’s Case Till July 9

A Katsina High Court on Tuesday reserved till July 9, for ruling on the admissibility or otherwise of the report of committee that investigated Local Governments Finances as evidence against the former governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema for misappropriating about N11 billion during his tenure.

During the court proceedings on Tuesday, Chairman of the committee, Alhaji Ibrahim Dabo, was called to testify where he presented the document before the court. Dabo told the court that he was appointed chairman of the committee in 2015.

He said that the committee discovered irregularity in payments and misappropriation of public funds from the State and local Governments Joint Account.

He said ‘’That Joint Account committee never held a single meeting and there is no single minute of meeting, ’’.

The lead counsel to the defendants, Joseph Daudu, SAN, told the court that the only admissible document is oral testimony as such the document is faulty.

He further maintained that prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt to provide evidence that the offense was committed.

He said ‘’The witness is not a clearing house of a court, I urged the court to reject it,’’

Mr Akinlolu Kehinde, counsel to the then commissioner for local government, Sani Makana, said that written documents are required to supply missing links on oral testimony.

He said ‘’the document is incomplete because it contained 25 anecdotes and I have not found anyone in it,’’. He urged the court to reject it.

The lead counsel to the prosecution, Sam Ologunarisa, SAN, argued that the document is not a report of the Commission of Inquiry, adding that all what the witness said was that a committee was set-up to investigate the Local Governments Finances and SUBEB, ‘’no more, no less’’.

He said that section 1 and 4 of the Evidence Act revealed that the document is admissible and is applicable under section 67 of the same act. He urged the court to overrule the objection of the defendant counsels.

The judge, Justice Ibrahim Maikaita Bako, adjourned the sitting to July 9, for ruling on the document presented before the court as evidence.

Recall that Ibrahim Shema, the former governor of Katsina state has been standing trial over  alleged money laundering case amounting to N11 billion

Shema alongside the former Commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs Hamisu Makana, former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government Lawal Rufai, and the then Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) chairman Lawal Dankaba were arraigned before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 24-count charge.