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A witness and former Auditor-General of Katsina state, Alhaji Ibrahim Dabo
Bindawa, has told Justice Maikata ibrahim Bako of the state high court
that he did not see the appropriation laws of the state between 2012 to
2014 before his committee came up with a report indicting former governor
of the state, Ibrahim Shehu Shema of financial impropriety.
The state government had set up a committee to investigate the finances of
the state under former Governor Shema.
The committee was expected to investigate loss of government funds and
property.
According to Bindawa, who printed posters to contest the 2015 governorship
election against Governor Aminu Bello Masari but later stepped down from
contesting the election in his evidence before the court said he was aware
that the State House of Assembly is saddled with the responsibilities of
making financial appropriation laws
for the state but have not seen the laws between 2012 to 2014.
Apart from the report of the committee that was brought to the court,
none of the primary evidence was shown to the court to substantiate the
allegation of the witness.
While under cross-examination, he said apart from allowances that were
paid to them, no other member of the committee got money for the work they
did for the state in serving on that committee.
But when asked by the team of lawyers of Dr. Shema, led by Chief Joseph
Daudu, SAN, that some of the members who served on the committee have been
rewarded with political appointments by the governor, he said he was not
aware.
When asked, if he knew that Maigari Salihu and Farouk Lawan Jobe, who
served as members the committee are now, Chairman, Local Government
Services of Katsina State and Special Adviser to the governor of he state
respectively, the witness claimed ignorance of the development.
Bindawa, who said he personally investigated the finances of the state
said some vouchers were with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, but did not bother to request for the documents from he commission
before coming up with its report.
He admitted that the documents with the EFCC was vital to the work but did
not write them to request for it.
“I said that some vouchers are with the the EFCC. The Director of Finance
in the ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs did not give
us the details of
the vouchers.
“The vouchers with the EFCC are very important to our work. I did not
write the EFCC to request for the vouchers”, he said.
He also told the court that in the course of their investigation, they
never interviewed any of the defendant before the court, adding that the
committee only tried to reach one of them through a third party.
Shema, who was governor of the state between 2007 to 2015 on the platform
of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), is been tried alongside three
others, namely Sani Makana, Lawal Safana and Ibrahim Dankaba.
A seven-man commission of inquiry led by Justice Muhammed Sirajo had
accused Shema’s administration of alleged embezzlement of N11bn belonging
to the 34 local government councils of the state.