Justice John Tsoho of a Federal High Court in Abuja will tomorrow hear the application filed by a member of committee set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate procurement of arms and equipment in the Armed Forces, Air Commodore Umar Mohammed (rtd) seeking the permission of the court for him to travel abroad for medical attention.
The application was moved yesterday in court on behalf of the defendant by his counsel, Hassan Liman (SAN), for the approval of the court for him to get medical attention outside the shores of the country.
The prosecution counsel, Shuaibu Labaran who told the court that the prosecution has assembled witnesses to prove the charges preferred against the defendants, said he is yet to respond to the application of the defendant.
The Federal Government had in September 2016, arraigned Mohammed alongside a company, Easy Jet Integrated Services Limited, before Justice Tsoho.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the four count charge in suit number, FHC/ABJ/CR/145/16.
The trial judge had earlier granted Mohammed bail and ordered among others, that he should be remanded in prison custody until he was able to meet the bail conditions.
He was released from detention on December 22 last year.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja had earlier granted Umar bail in the sum of N100m, with two sureties at N50m each, but the order was not complied with by the DSS.
Mohammed and his company are charged with money laundering, illegal possession of firearms and violation of Official Secret Act.
They were said to have accepted $1,030,000 in cash from a firm, Worldwide Consortium PTY Ltd. “as payment for flight services without going through a financial institution as required by law.”
They are said to have committed the offence of money laundering contrary to sections 18 (a) and 16(1) (d) of the Money Laundering Act 2011 and punishable under Section 16(2) (b) of the Act.
Mohammed is accused of being in illegal possession of two pump action guns (marked: SBSG Magnum 397 and SBGS Interpress 09-1573) between June 1, 2011 and June 19, 2016 without valid licenses and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 4 of the Firearms Act 2004 and punishable under Section 27(1)(b)(i) of the act.
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