By Abubakar Yunusa Ojima-Ojo
An erstwhile national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Bello Mohammed has been re-arraigned before Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in an alleged ₦300M fraud.
He was put on a fresh trial alongside his company, Bam Projects and Properties Ltd, for alleged criminal breach of trust and money laundering by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Mohammed was re-arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on his alleged role in the diversion of funds meant for the procurement of arms, through the office of the ex-National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki.
At the day’s proceedings, the defendants pleaded not guilty to all the counts, leading the counsel to the EFCC to apply for a trial date.
The defendant’s counsel, Kanu Agabi, however, prayed the court to allow Mohammed to continue on existing bail granted by Justice Ahmed Mohammed.
Agabi argued that Mohammed did not flout the earlier bail conditions granted him, pleading that he would not jump bail.
Although Atolagbe did not oppose Agabi’s application, he however argued that his bail was once revoked for breaching the terms.
Justice Lifu, who admitted Mohammed to the bail earlier granted by a sister court, adjourned the matter till May 7 and May 8 for trial.
In count one, the company, the former PDP chair and his son, Bello Abba Mohammed (now deceased), were accused of having taken possession of the sum of ₦300m paid into the account of Bam Project and Properties Ltd with Sterling Bank Plc, from the account of the office of the NSA with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)on or about March 17, 2015.
The EFCC alleged that the funds formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Dasuki (rtd.), and that the offence is contrary to Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended in 2012), and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
The former PDP chairman was earlier arraigned before Justice Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Abuja on January 5, 2016, and was granted bail on January 7, 2016.
Although the matter had reached an advanced stage, Justice Mohammed was however elevated to the Court of Appeal recently, making the case start afresh.
