Alleged N1.1bn fraud: Witness narrates how governor’s son paid N224.7m for Abuja apartments

A prosecution witness, Dr Musa Musa, on Thursday, narrated before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja how Shamshudeen Bala, son of the former FCT minister and the current Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, made payments for three units of four-bedroom semi-detached duplexes, located in Apo and Guzape Districts of Abuja in the name of two companies: Bal-Vac Mining Nigeria Limited and Diakin Telecommunications Limited.

Musa was the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Abuja Investment Company Limited at the time of the purchase of the properties.

He told the court that the defendant brought United States Dollars cash equivalent of N10 million to him as part payment for the said properties which was converted into banking instrument while the remaining payments were made to the accounts department of the company.

Musa in his evidence-in-chief revealed that two of the properties were sold to the defendant at the cost of N74,000,000 each while the third was sold to his company at the cost of N66,700,000

He tendered the Bill of Deed Documents of the three properties in evidence before the court.

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Earlier, another prosecution witness, Abba Alli, had revealed how the defendant opened accounts for the companies in a microfinance bank, stating that payments were made into these accounts in his name.

Alli said he gave the account opening forms to the defendant, who in turn, filled in the necessary information and returned them to him for processing.

The trial Judge, Justice Dimgba adjourned the matter till March 24, 2020, for the continuation of trial.

The governor’s son was re-arraigned in May 2017 in together with four companies, Bird Trust Agro Allied Ltd, Intertrans Global Logistics Ltd, Diakin Telecommunications Ltd, and Bal-Vac Mining Nigeria Ltd, on a 15-count charge bordering on money laundering.

They were accused of money laundering and falsification of assets, carrying out business transactions worth billions of naira in violation of Money Laundering Act, including payment of various cash sums of money beyond the limit set by the Money Laundering Act for purchase of houses without going through a financial institution.

Bala’s son as alleged to have concealed four of his accounts: 0001857597, 5001214708, 0000895037 and 000895020 domiciled at another bank.