By IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

ABUJA – Travails of the former Minister of Works and Housing, Dr. Hassan  Lawal, continued, yesterday, as he was again re-arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over a fresh 29-count criminal charge bordering  on conspiracy, money laundering and fraud.

The ex-minister, who was brought to court from his detention cell at the Kuje prisons, where he has been since May 11, pleaded not guilty to the criminal charge that was preferred against him and 14 other accused persons yesterday.

Efforts by his counsel, Mr Ibrahim Ishiaku, SAN, to secure his release yesterday proved abortive, as the trial judge, Justice Bilkisu Aliyu, insisted on determining the merits of a preliminary objection  challenging the competence of the substantive suit against them before  hearing their pending bail applications.

Consequently, the trial judge ordered that the  ex-minister and the former managing director of one of the indicted companies, Digital Toll, Dr. Adeoba  Ademola, should be taken back to prison, even as she also remanded six other accused persons that were joined in the matter yesterday, in EFCC custody.

Justice Aliyu also ordered all the foreign representatives of all the companies that were indicted in the alleged N75.5 billion fraud, to surrender their international passports to the court registry, just as she adjourned the matter till today to hear both the bail applications of the accused persons as well as their preliminary objections.

The former minister, in his preliminary objection, relied on the provisions of Section 167 of the Criminal Procedure Act (CPA), to challenge the propriety of the charge against him which he said did not disclose a prima facie nexus that linked him to the alleged fraud.

Others that were arraigned yesterday were, Mr Dave Enejoh, Okala Phillip Yakubu, Thahal Paul Engr. Abbey Ayodele and Mr Guy Pelleg.

Meanwhile, Lawal has gone before the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal to challenge his continued incarceration.