Alleged N1.1bn fraud: Court sends former FCT Minister’s son to Kuje prison

A Federal High Court in Abuja has remanded the son of former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mallam Bala Mohammed, Shamsudeen Bala Mohammed in Kuje Prison over involvement in an alleged N1.1bn fraud.

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, on Wednesday ordered that the Minister’s son, who is currently standing trial for alleged fraud be remanded in Kuje prison till Friday.

TheNewsGuru.com reports that Shamsudeen was arraigned before the justice Dimgba-led court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on 15 counts involving alleged N1.1bn fraud.

The EFCC had charged Shamsudeen alongside four other companies, namely: Bird Trust Argo Limited, Intertrans Global Logistics Limited, Diakin Telecommunications Limited and Bal-Vac Mining Nigeria Limited.

The anti-graft agency alleged that Shamsudeen carried out business transactions worth billions of naira in violation of Money Laundering Act, adding that he paid various cash sums of money beyond the limit set by the Money Laundering Act for purchase of houses without going through a financial institution.

The EFCC also accused the defendant of failing to declare his assets when he completed the EFCC Asset Declaration Form A.

However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against him.

Shortly after his plea, the prosecuting counsel, Ben Ikani, applied for the defendant to be remanded in prison.

Reacting swiftly to Ikani’s application, the defence lawyer, Chris Uche, SAN, informed the court that he had on January 27 filed an application for his client’s bail.

The judge, however upheld the application of prosecution counsel and ordered Shamsudeen to be remanded in prison till Friday when ruling on his bail application would be delivered.