The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, arraigned the duo of Ahmed Ali Mohammed and Nuhu Ibrahim Ishaq before Justice Ibrahim Christopher Auta of the Niger State High Court, Minna on a 6-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery and obtaining by false pretences.
The suspects allegedly paraded themselves as directors of Sandabe International Company Limited and, in that assumed capacity, fraudulently obtained the sum of N140 million from one Hon. Mohammed Umar Bago.
The accused were said to have sometime between March 1, 2010 and April 1, 2010 defrauded one Hon. Mohammed Umar Bago under the false pretence that they own a company known as Sandabe International Company Limited which has a partnership agreement with MTN to deal in MTN products.
They were said to have convinced Bago that they will invest the said amount into the company’s MTN business on his behalf and to be giving him an interest of six percent (6%) of the capital invested every month.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them and upon their plea, counsel to EFCC, Ibrahim Audu urged the court to fix a date for trial to commence and remand the accused in prison custody.
However, defence counsel Aisha H. Shehu prayed the court to admit her clients to bail saying the offence for which they are being prosecuted is bailable.
Audu, however, opposed the bail application on the grounds that “the offences are severe in nature”, and carry a minimum imprisonment of seven years.
Justice Auta, after listening to the arguments of counsel, asked the defence to make a formal application and ordered the accused persons to be remanded in prison custody.
The case has been adjourned to June 19, 2014 for hearing on the bail application.
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