El-Rufai and associates accused of earmarking $600,000 to compromise EFCC probe

The allegations formed part of the prosecution’s evidence against the former governor and have yet to be established by the court. The post El-Rufai planned to stifle EFCC investigation with $600,000 bribe, witness tells court appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.

Segun Kayode, a forensic investigator with the Department of State Services (DSS), has alleged that Nasir el-Rufai, former Kaduna state governor, and some of his associates earmarked $600,000 to pay officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and intermediaries.   Kayode, the first prosecution witness in the ongoing trial, made the allegation on Tuesday while testifying before the Kaduna state high court sitting in Kawoa and presided over by Justice Darius Khobo.   The witness told the court that $500,000 and $100,000 were allegedly set aside for the payments, adding that forensic audio recordings captured conversations involving el-Rufai and some of his suspected associates.   According to Kayode, the recorded conversations centred on alleged efforts to frustrate an EFCC investigation into a company identified as Singularity.     He said a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), another individual and Bashir el-Rufai, were among those allegedly mentioned in the conversations.   Kayode told the court that the SAN and the other individual were allegedly directed to meet one Ahmadu Sule to obtain a template previously used to liquidate another company, with the intention of applying a similar process to Singularity.   The investigator further alleged that the discussions included plans to liquidate the company in Nigeria and Mauritius, where it was reportedly under investigation by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit.     He also alleged that the recordings contained discussions about preventing the EFCC from investigating a company he said was listed on the New York Stock Exchange.   The allegations formed part of the prosecution’s evidence against the former governor and have yet to be established by the court.   Proceedings lasted nearly eight hours, from 12:26pm to 8:18pm, with about two hours devoted to playing the recorded conversations.   After Kayode submitted a hard copy of his findings to the court clerk, the defence objected, saying the document should have been served earlier to allow the legal team to study its contents.     The judge ruled that the defence could obtain a certified true copy of the document admitted as Exhibit One for examination.   The court adjourned the case until November 30 and December 1, 2026, for the continuation of cross-examination, following agreement by the prosecution and defence.   BACK STORY   El-Rufai is facing trial over alleged money laundering and conversion of public property.     The DSS is also prosecuting the former governor before the federal high court in Abuja over allegations of wiretapping.   He has been in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) since February 19, after being released by the EFCC.     On April 13, the ICPC arraigned the former governor at the Kaduna high court on an amended nine-count charge bordering on alleged fraud and abuse of office.   In May, the federal high court in Abuja granted bail to el-Rufai in the case pertaining to alleged access to a telephone conversation involving Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA).     Joyce Abdulmalik, the presiding judge, granted el-Rufai bail in the sum of N100 million with one surety in like sum.   In July, the el-Rufai family said the bail conditions being handed to the former governor are not “viable”.  

An SSS forensic investigator alleges in court that former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai and associates earmarked $600,000 to settle EFCC officials. Read More: https://punchng.com/el-rufai-earmarked-600000-for-efcc-officials-investigator/

Nasir El-Rufai, the embattled former governor of Kaduna state, has been accused of planning to bribe EFCC officials as disclosed by witness at the court on Tuesday.