N11bn fraud: Shema, three others must face trial – Supreme Court insists, ready to prove my innocence-Shema
The Supreme Court, Friday, upheld the judgement of Court of Appeal, Kaduna, which ordered the trial of ex-governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema, on allegation of N11 billion fraud.
Shema, who was governor of the state between 2007 and 2011 on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), is currently facing trial alongside three others, viz. Sani Makana, Lawal Safana and Ibrahim Dankaba for financial scam.
Delivering judgement on the interlocutory application, a full panel of the court led by Justice Sidi Bage, held that the constitution empowered the EFCC to prosecute suspects of graft allegations at federal and state levels.
“The action of the ex-governor and the three other applicants cannot tempt the court to over-rule itself.
“The apex court took time to explain the powers of the EFCC to work within both federal laws and penal codes of states in ex-governors’ Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame similar applications.
“The full strength of the court met over this application and we have resolved not to over-rule ourselves on application that is clearly meritorious
“In the circumstance, the application is dismissed on the grounds that the EFCC has the powers to prosecute anybody found to have committed fraud in any part of the country.
“The panel therefore affirms the judgment of the Appeal Court, Kaduna, delivered on September 13, 2017, which mandated the applicants to submit themselves to trial at the High Court of Katsina’’, he said.
Reacting to the judgment, Alhaji Ibrahim Shema the Supreme Court judgment was a welcome development with the decision of the court affirming his right to be provided with the statements of claims, documents, bank statements and list of witnesses relevant to the charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Katsina State Government.
According to a statement issued by Olawale Oluwabusola, Head of Media team to Shema, the ex-governor has never been opposed to fair trial.
“His grouse has been against what was playing out in the allegations and trial by ambush.
“Now, that the highest court in the land has spoken, he expects that EFCC and Katsina State Government to comply with and provide him necessary document to prepare his defence as provided by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The former governor is always ready to defend himself and prove his innocence on universal principles of the rule of law and fair hearing against the politically motivated smear campaign of calumny being orchestrated by the Katsina State government using agencies of State and Federal government as tools to cow the opposition.
