EFCC arraigns businessman for allegedly defrauding Kuwaiti citizen of $1.3m
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned a businessman, Abdulsalam Abdulkarim, before the Federal High Court, Kano.
The defendant is alleged to have defrauded a Kuwaiti citizen of the sum of $1,320,000 (One Million Three Hundred and Twenty Thousand Dollars) under the pretext that he was in the business of building properties in Dubai, Kuwait and other Arab countries
Abdulkarim, alias A.A Zaura, was arraigned before Justice Mohammed Yunusa on a four-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretense.
One of the charges read “That you, Abdulkarim Saleh Abdulssalam, sometime in August 2014, at Kano within the Kano Judicial Division of the High Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00) from Dr. Jamman Al- Azmi.
“You represented that you had the capacity to partner with him for a joint venture business, which representation you knew to be false, and thereby committed an offence contrary to 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 pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him.
Following his “not guilty” plea, the defendant’s counsel, Ishaq Dikko, SAN, applied for the bail of his client.
The counsel for the prosecution, Aisha Habib, asked for a trial date after engaging the defendant’s lawyer in some brief arguments.
Justice Yunusa granted bail to the defendant and adjourned the case until May 2, for the commencement of retrial.
Periscope International reports that the defendant’s trial is starting afresh after the Court of Appeal had earlier nullified his discharge and acquittal on fraud charges by Justice A. L Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Kano.
