‘N1.1m fraud’: EFCC appeals acquittal of Bala Mohammed’s son
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has appealed the judgment of a federal high court which acquitted Shamsudeen, son of Bala Mohammed, Bauchi state governor, of fraud allegations.
Shamsudeen was first arraigned in November 2016 on a 15-count charge bordering on conspiracy and intentional failure to declare his assets.
He was arraigned alongside Bird Trust Agro Allied Limited, Intertrans Global Logistics Limited, Diakin Telecommunications Limited, and Bal-Vac Mining Nigeria Limited.
The charge was later amended to 20 counts.
On December 14, 2021, the court partially sustained a no-case submission filed by the defendants and they were acquitted on counts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 20.
However, Nnamdi Dimgba, the presiding judge, directed Shamsudeen to open his defence on the remaining counts.
The EFCC, in the charge, raised three major issues.
On February 7, Dimgba, the presiding judge, held that the prosecution failed to prove its case against the defendant.
Consequently, the judge cleared the governor’s son of all the allegations.
Aggriegrieved by the acquittal, the EFCC through its lawyer, Wahab Shittu, lodged an appeal on Wednesday.
In the notice of appeal, the EFCC said the trial court ignored 43 legally admissible evidential materials of proof beyond a reasonable doubt in its prosecution against Shamsudeen.
The anti-graft agency said the court erred when it held that the commission failed to prove its allegations against the defendant.
The appeal is premised on 15 grounds. No date has been fixed for the hearing.
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