BY JOSEPH ERUNKE

LAFIA – Former governor of Nasarawa State, Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma, was Tuesday arraigned at the Federal High Court Lafia, on a sixteen-count charge bothering on alleged misappropriation of state funds, amounting to N18billion.

But the former Nasarawa State helmsman and five of his accomplices pleaded not guilty to the sixteen count charge read to them at the court.

Doma, who was brought to the premises of the court, by the operatives of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), at exactly 9 am, alongside five of his former aides, among who was the former Secretary to State Government, Mr Timothy Anjide.

*Doma outside the court room.

Legal battle by his team of lawyers headed by Lateef Fagbemi,SAN, to get the ex-governor granted bail hit the rock as the presiding judge, Justice Marcel Awokolehin, having listened to counter motion by the EFCC lawyer, Kemi Pinheiro,SAN, adjourned the case to tomorrow ( Wednesday),  to enable both the prosecuting and the defense counsels regularize their submission and written addresses on the matter.

Those arraigned besides Doma and his SSG were the former Accountant General, Dauda Egwa, a former senator of the federal republic of Nigeria, John Danboyi and two others.