The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will today re-arraign a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, BABACHIR LAWAL, and six others, for an alleged fraudulent N544m grass-cutting contract.

This will be the second re-arraignment of the defendants, who were first arraigned before the late Justice JUDE OKEKE of the FCT High Court, Maitama, on February 13, 2019.

BABACHIR LAWAL, along with his younger brother, HAMIDU LAWAL, SULEIMAN ABUBAKAR, APEH MONDAY and two companies had pleaded not guilty to the charges when read to them before Justice OKEKE.

The prosecution was to open its case on March 18, 2019, when they announced that they had amended the 10 counts, bordering on fraud, diversion of over N544m and criminal conspiracy.

Following the judge’s demise, the case was re-assigned to Justice CHARLES AGBAZA of the Jabi Division of the FCT High Court, where the trial will have to start afresh.