The Katsina State chapter of the National Conscience Party (NCP) yesterday accused Governor Aminu Bello Masari of bribing judges to win at the governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
The Chairman of the party, Abdulmumini Shehu Sani, who disclosed this at a press conference in Katsina, said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) under the leadership of Masari gave bribe and other inducements to the judges.
But the state government has dismissed the allegation, describing it as a lie and a deliberate attempt to arm-twist the judiciary.
Sani explained that one of the judges has returned a whooping sum of $193,700 to the Department of State Services (DSS) for “safekeeping”.
He said: “It is now on record that Aminu Bello Masari and the APC in Katsina State gave the sum of one hundred and ninety-three thousand, seven hundred ($193,700) US Dollars as bribes to one of the three judges that presided over the petition challenging the reelection of Aminu Bello Masari of APC as governor of Katsina State.
“But unfortunately for them but luckily for the people of Katsina State, the judge turned back the money and it is now duly deposited for safekeeping with one of the security agencies”.
According to the NCP chairman, “right from inception of the Masari’s administration, misappropriation and embezzlement of public funds are the only achievements in record”.
He therefore, called on the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to as a matter of urgency investigate what he termed as high level corruption going on in the state.
However, the Director General (Media and Publicity) to Governor Masari, Abdu Labaran Malumfashi in a telephone interview, described the allegation as a lie and a deliberate attempt to arm-twist the judiciary.
The governor’s aide added that: “It is not true. It is lie and rubbish. Let him go to court if he has the facts”.
THE GUADIAN