Alleged Fraud: Abuja High court remands Adamawa Ex-HoR, one other
A former House of representatives member (HoR) who represented the Federal constituency of Gombi/Hong in the National Assembly, Hon Albert Sylvanus Atirwurcha and one Sabo Mohammed Jimeta have been remanded in Abuja Prison over Alleged N800m Fraud while Ezekiel Namda is at large.
You would recall that Albert and two property agents, Msheilia Julius Silas and Sabo Mohamed Jimeta two years ago were arraigned by the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police Force before a Federal high Court in Lagos alleged to have swindled a politician and a businessman, Abubakar Baba Zango, to the tune of N800 million.
Babazango who is presently the House of representatives Lawmaker representing the Yola North, Yola South and Girei federal constituency area of Adamawa state confirmed to this medium that Albert and Sabo exhibited high level of distrust because they relate well.
The matter which was followed by the member of Economic and Financial crimes commission (EFCC) which Albert and Sabo were paraded on criminal breach of trust.
The two defendants and a limited liability company, Jitau Investment Limited, were arraigned before the court presided over by Justice Nicholas Oweibo.
During their arraignment, the police prosecutor, Emmanuel Jackson, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), told the court that the defendants committed the alleged offence alongside Albert Atiwurcha, Nanda Ezekiel and J&J Holding Villa Limited (now at large).
Jackson, who is the officer in-charge of PSFU’s Legal Department, further informed the court that the defendants with an intent to defraud, conspired among themselves and fraudulently sold off a property located at No 3 Bunu Sheriff Crescent, Katempe Extension, Abuja, for the sum of N800 million.
The prosecutor stated that the said property belonged to one Abubakar Baba Zango.
He stated that following the sales of the property, the defendants allegedly diverted the proceeds into two bank accounts in Union Bank Plc with account number 0041529275, belonging to Jitau Investment Limited, and Zenith Bank account number 1016265443, belonging to J and J Holding Villa Limited, different from the one nominated by the owner of the property, Abubakar Baba Zango.
The prosecutor submitted that the offences committed by the defendants, contravened Sections 1(3) and 1(i)(a) and of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006.
He further told the court that the offences contravened Section 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as Amended in 2012.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the offences when the charge was read to them.
Following their plea, lawyers to the defendants, Kyari Joe Gadzama (SAN); Kole Bello, and J. W. Dong, told the court that their clients’ bail applications had been filed and served of the prosecution.
In moving the bail applications, Gadzama told the court that his client, Mshelia Julius Silas, was earlier admitted to administrative bail by the police and he came back to the police yesterday for his arraignment, contending that by the provisions of the Constitution, his client is entitled to bail.
Opposing the bail applications, the prosecutor, Jackson, told the court that it was true that the defendants were granted administrative bail, but added that the police went after those that stood as sureties for the first defendant before he was forced to come to court for arraignment.
He told the court to discountenance the arguments of the defence counsel that the matter was purely a civil one, stating that the defendants will not turn up for their trial if admitted to bail.
He consequently asked the court not to grant the bail applications.
Delivering ruling on the bail application, Justice Oweibo acceded to the request of the defence lawyers, and admitted each of the defendants to bail in the sum of N500 million each with one surety in like sum.
The Judge ordered that the surety must be a property owner within Lagos and that the property must worth the bail sum, adding that the surety must provide evidence of tax payment for three years.
Justice Oweibo, while adjourning the matter till June 21 for trial, ordered that the defendants be remanded in the custody of the SFU till the perfection of the bail terms.
The case which was transferred to federal high court Abuja for further hearing the Judge,Hon justice O.A Egwuatu affirmed the ruling of Justice Oweibo but he however asked the defendants to be remanded in prison until they meet the bail conditions of N500m and two federal Directors with Landed properties in Abuja.
