The Federal high court sitting in Kano has slated 2nd May, 2023 for pre-trial of Business mogul Abdulkarim Abdulsalam Zaura’s alleged financial misappropriation.
The Economic and Financial Crime (EFCC) is prosecuting the Kano central senatorial candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the just concluded elections, on four count charges bothering on advance fee fraud.
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When the defendant appeared before Justice Muhammad Nasir Yunusa on arraignment Tuesday, the prosecution counsel, Mrs Aisha Habib, informed the court on adjustment of charges against the defendant.
EFCC re-opened the alleged criminal charges on criminal conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of $1.3 million slammed on the defendant sometimes in 2014 against one Dr Jamman Al-Azmi.
The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the provision of section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
However, the defendant pleaded non-guilty of all the offences leveled against him.
Subsequently, the defense counsel, Isiyaka Dikko SAN, urged the court to admit the defendant to bail and pleaded the court to apply same condition of bail extended to his client by Justice Lewis Allagoa on the same subject matter.
In a counter argument, counsel to EFCC objected the bail application, asking the court to remand the defendant to its custody.
In his ruling, Justice Yunusa, overruled the prosecuting counsel and admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N100 million and one surety in like sum.
The Judge contended that bail is a constitutional right pursuant to section 36(5) of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria1999 as amended that a defendant shall be presumed innocent until he or she is found guilty.
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Court has adjourned the matter until May 2, for commencement of pre-trial.
