FG re-arraigns former FCT Minister’s son on amended charge

THE Federal Government on Tuesday re-arraigned Shamsudeen Bala, son to the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed on an amended 15 count-charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

When the matter came up on Tuesday before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, the prosecuting counsel, Ben Ikani informed the court about an amended charge dated May 25, 2017 and filed on May 30, 2017 which was served on the defence in the court yesterday.

The minister’s son was earlier arraigned on a 15-count charge bothering on conspiracy and intentional failure to declare his assets, but the amended charge according to Ikani was to specify the various sums of money in local and foreign currencies found in his account number 0000895020 domiciled with Standard Chartered Bank.

Counsel representing the defendant, Chris Uche (SAN) told the court that he had just been showed a copy of the amended charge, lamenting that it is against the practice direction of the Federal High Court, for the prosecution to have just filed the amended charge after the matter had been adjourned for some months.

“This is more serious than how the prosecution is seeing it, he is trying to prosecute the first defendant on a matter he was not arraigned”, he said and urged the court for time to study the amended charge”.

Ikani however did not object to the application for adjournment by the counsel to the defendant.

The defendant however pleaded not guilty to the amended charge when it was read to him and his counsel pleaded with the court to allow the  defendant enjoy the existing bail earlier granted him by the court.

The trial Judge granted the application adding that, the first defendant shall continue to enjoy the bail conditions and adjourned the trial till June 26, 2017.

Shamsudeen Bala was arraigned together with four companies, Bird Trust Agro Allied Ltd, Intertrans Global ’Logistics Ltd, Diakin Telecommunications Ltd, and Bal-Vac Mining Nigeria Ltd, over alleged involvement in a fraud running into N1.1 billion when his father held sway as the minister of the FCT.

The defendants were accused of money laundering and false declaration of assets.

The anti-graft agency accused the minister’s son of carrying out business transactions worth billions of naira in violation of Money Laundering Act, alleging also that he paid various cash sums of money beyond the limit set by the Money Laundering Act for purchase of houses without going through a financial institution.

The commission also accused Shamsudeen of failing to declare his assets when he completed the EFCC Asset Declaration Form A.

He allegedly concealed four of his accounts domiciled at Standard Chartered Bank. The accounts were given as 0001857597, 5001214708, 0000895037 and 000895020.