THE Emir of Kano, Mallam Muhammad Sanusi 11, on Friday won a major judicial victory against the Kano State government after a Federal High Court sitting in the city dismissed the preliminary report of a panel that indicted him for alleged misappropriation of the Emirate Council’s N3.5 billion.
Justice O.A. Egwuata said the Kano Anti-graft Commission was wrong to deny Emir Sanusi an opportunity to be heard before releasing the said report on him.
The action of the panel,the court said,was against the principle of fair hearing.
The panel had also recommended the suspension of the emir.
Dissatisfied by the report, Sanusi headed to the court to seek a declaration that the report of the panel issued on June 6, 2019, breached his fundamental human right to fair hearing and was contrary to the rules of natural justice.
Besides,he prayed the court to set aside the preliminary report, as it relates to his indictment for fraud, misappropriation, as well as the recommendation for suspension by the commission.
The court granted his prayers and awarded him N200000 damages.
A Kano State High Court presided over by Justice Suleiman Na’Mallam had earlier restrained the anti-graft commission from continuing with its probe of the emir.
