Alleged $1.3m fraud: Absence of EFCC witness stalls trial of business mogul’s case

Absence of prosecution witness on Tuesday, stalled the trial of a business mogul, Abdulsalam Abdulkarim-Zaura, before a Kano Federal High Court charged with alleged 1.3 million dollars fraud.

It was reported that 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.

When the case came up for commencement of trial, the EFCC counsel, Mr Sadiq Hussaini, told the court that his witnesses were not in court.

“We are very sorry our witnesses are not Ron court . We asking for another date to enable us produce our witnesses,” he said.

Responding,the defence counsel, Mr Isiyaka Dikko, told the court that we are ready to proceed and move the application.

“We filed a motion on notice on April 17, seeking for stay of proceeding pending the hearing and determination of an appeal at Supreme Court,” the defence counsel said.

Justice Muhammad Nasir-Yunusa, adjourned the matter until May 31 and June 1, for hearing of pending application and commencement of trial.

The defendant was alleged to have sometime in Aug.2014, within the Kano Judicial Division of the High Court, with intent to defraud, conspired to obtain the sum of $1.3 million from Dr Jamman Al-Azmi.

The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the provision 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.