A Federal High Court sitting in Kano on Wednesday, fixed May 2, for hearing in the ongoing trial of a business mogul, Abdulsalam Abdulkarim-Zaura, over alleged $1.3 million dollars fraud.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed four-count charge of criminal conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of 1.3 million dollars against the defendant.
The prosecution counsel, Mrs. Aisha Habib, told the court that the defendant committed the offence sometime in 2014.
Habib alleged that sometime in Aug.2014, within the Kano Judicial Division of the High Court, with intent to defraud, the accused conspired to obtain the sum of $1.3 million from Dr Jamman Al-Azmi.
The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the provisions of section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
The defendant, however denied committing the offence.
The defense counsel, Mr. Isiyaka Dikko SAN, urged the court to admit the defendant to bail and extend the previous bail by Justice Lewis Allagoa.
Justice Muhammad Nasir-Yunusa admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N100 million and one surety in like sum.
He said bail is a constitutional right pursuant to section 36(5) of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria1999 as amended and that a defendant shall be presumed innocent until he or she is proved guilty.
Nasir-Yunusa adjourned the matter until May 2, for commencement of pre-trial.
