A former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Bala
Mohammed, on Tuesday asked a High Court of the FCT in Gudu, Abuja,
to grant him entry into his house in Abuja sealed off by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission since May 2016 to enable
him and other members of his household to retrieve some personal
effects trapped in the property.The personal effects which Mohammed
and his family members are seeking to retrieve from the house
include 35 sets of babaringa, 15 pieces of perfumes, 50 sets of
leather handbags, 65 pairs of shoes, over 35 boxes of clothes, bed
sheets, kitchen utensils and a BMW car.
The EFCC is prosecuting Mohammed before the court presided over
by Justice Abubakar Talba on six counts bordering on abuse of
office, receiving of gratification and making false assets
declaration of some of his properties.
In the application filed on June 7, 2017, Mohammed contended
that he and his entire family members, as well as his domestic
aides, were residing in the six-bedroom duplex at 1, Mariam Mukhtar
Street, Asokoro, Abuja, until it was sealed off by the EFCC
sometime in May 2016.
According to a supporting affidavit deposed to by a domestic
aide to the ex-minister, Mr. Umar Usman, the “sealing off” of the
property was impromptu, and as a result, the family members moved
to a guest house “and have been surviving on few personal effects
they had to purchase out of desperation”.
Usman stated, “That there are numerous items belonging to the
family members trapped in the property, which if not recovered
would be lost and constitute a huge economic loss to the respective
owners.
“That further to that, the personal effects of the
defendant/applicant’s children namely: Fatima Bala Mohammed, Hauwa
Bala Mohammed and Maimuna Bala Mohammed are trapped in the
property.
“That numerous gifts secured by the defendant/applicant’s wife,
Mrs. Lami Bala Mohammed in respect of her charity/humanitarian
works, meant for distribution to the less-privileged during this
Ramadan period are currently trapped in the property.”
The affidavit also stated that “none of the personal properties
of the defendant/applicant” was connected with the charges
preferred against the ex-minister and the proof of evidence.
“That the defendant/applicant and his family have been suffering
a lot of hardship as a result of the deprivation,” it added.
The ex-minister lawyer, Mr. Frank Molokwu, who is of the law
firm of Chris Uche (SAN), therefore prayed for, “an order granting
the defendant/applicant and his family members entry to his
premises located at No. 1, Mukhtar Street, Asokoro, Abuja,
currently sealed off by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, in order to retrieve his personal effects and those of
other members of his family.”
The application listed the personal effects needed to be
retrieved from the house as, but not limited to, “35 sets of
caftan/babaringa outfit with caps to match belonging to the
defendant/applicant;
“15 pieces of perfumes belonging to the defendant/applicant
“25 pairs of leather shoes belonging to the
defendant/applicant;
“50 sets of leather handbags belonging to the wife of the
defendant/applicant, Mrs. Lami Bala Mohammed;
“40 pairs of shoes belonging to the defendant/applicant;s wife as
above;
“35 boxes of clothes belonging to the defendant/applicant’s
wife;
“One box containing assorted types of perfumes belonging to the
defendant/applicant’s wife;
“25 pieces of clothing and 10 sets of handbags belonging to the
defendant/applicant’s daughter, Miss Maimuna Bala Mohammed;
*Two boxes of clothes and 12 pairs of shoes belonging to the
defendant/applicant’s daughter, Miss Fatima Bala Mohammed;
*One box containing clothes and materials meant for distribution to
the less privileged in the spirit of Ramadan;
*Three sets of Arabian rugs;
“15 sets of family bed sheets;
*Kitchen utensils comprising of two dinner sets, two sets of
cutlery, four pieces of jugs and five food coolers;
*A black coloured BMW car with registration number ABJ 462 AM
belonging to Umar Aliyu Usman, a domestic aide to the
defendant/applicant; and
“Several other household items in the house.”
At the Tuesday’s proceedings, EFCC’s prosecuting counsel, Mr.
Ben Ikani, informed the judge that the application should not be
allowed to stall proceedings.
While saying he could help to facilitate how the items requested
could be released to the defendant, he sought to respond to the
application.
He, therefore, requested that he be allowed to call his first
witness.
When his request was granted, he called the investigative
officer, Mr. Ishaya Dauda, as the first witness.
Dauda had taken his oath, when the lead defence counsel, Chief
Chris Uche (SAN), noted that the investigator’s statement was not
made to be part of the proof of evidence served on his client.
Although, Ikani said, in response, that the law did not make it
mandatory for him to include the investigator’s statement in the
proof of evidence, he requested an adjournment to enable him to
file an additional proof of evidence to exhibit the investigator’s
written statement.
Justice Talba, therefore, fixed Thursday for the hearing of the
motion seeking the retrieval of personal effects from the sealed
house.
The judge then fixed October 17 for the commencement of
trial.
The defendant was arraigned by the EFCC on May 10, 2017.
The former minister was remanded in Kuje Prison, Abuja, shortly
after he pleaded not guilty to the charges read to him on May
10.
But he was granted bail in the sum of N500m two days later on
May 12, 2017.
The anti-graft agency, in the six counts preferred against him,
specifically alleged that Mohammed, while being the Minister of
Federal Capital Territory Abuja, had in 2014 in Abuja did accept
gratification of a house worth N550m situated at No. 2599 and 2600
Cadastral zone AO4 Asokoro District Abuja from Aso Savings and
LoanLoans Bank PLC.
The EFCC claimed the said house was a reward for performing his
official duties, an act said to be an offence contrary to Section
18(b) of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related
Offences Act 2000, and punishable under Section 18(d) of the same
Act.
Mohammed was also accused of abusing his office while being FCT
Minister and Chairman Board of Directors, Aso Savings and Loans
Bank Plc.
He allegedly used his office and position to confer corrupt and
undue advantage to his associates by allocating four numbers fully
detached duplexes and eleven numbers semi-detached duplexes valued
at N314m through the Presidential Taskforce on the sale of
government houses to them.
The act was said to be an offence punishable under Section 19 of
ICPC Act 2000.
Some of the charges read, “That you Bala A. Mohammed on October
24, 2016 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of the High Court of
the Federal Capital Territory, in the course of filling Asset
Declaration Form at Economic and Financial Crimes Commission did
knowingly fail to make full disclosure of your property to wit:
your property at No. 54 Mike Akhigbe Street, Jabi Abuja and thereby
committed an offence contrary to Section 27(3)(a) of the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004 and
punishable under Section 37(3)(c) of the same Act.
A former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Bala
Mohammed, on Tuesday asked a High Court of the FCT in Gudu, Abuja,
to grant him entry into his house in Abuja sealed off by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission since May 2016 to enable
him and other members of his household to retrieve some personal
effects trapped in the property.The personal effects which Mohammed
and his family members are seeking to retrieve from the house
include 35 sets of babaringa, 15 pieces of perfumes, 50 sets of
leather handbags, 65 pairs of shoes, over 35 boxes of clothes, bed
sheets, kitchen utensils and a BMW car.
The EFCC is prosecuting Mohammed before the court presided over
by Justice Abubakar Talba on six counts bordering on abuse of
office, receiving of gratification and making false assets
declaration of some of his properties.
In the application filed on June 7, 2017, Mohammed contended
that he and his entire family members, as well as his domestic
aides, were residing in the six-bedroom duplex at 1, Mariam Mukhtar
Street, Asokoro, Abuja, until it was sealed off by the EFCC
sometime in May 2016.
According to a supporting affidavit deposed to by a domestic
aide to the ex-minister, Mr. Umar Usman, the “sealing off” of the
property was impromptu, and as a result, the family members moved
to a guest house “and have been surviving on few personal effects
they had to purchase out of desperation”.
Usman stated, “That there are numerous items belonging to the
family members trapped in the property, which if not recovered
would be lost and constitute a huge economic loss to the respective
owners.
“That further to that, the personal effects of the
defendant/applicant’s children namely: Fatima Bala Mohammed, Hauwa
Bala Mohammed and Maimuna Bala Mohammed are trapped in the
property.
“That numerous gifts secured by the defendant/applicant’s wife,
Mrs. Lami Bala Mohammed in respect of her charity/humanitarian
works, meant for distribution to the less-privileged during this
Ramadan period are currently trapped in the property.”
The affidavit also stated that “none of the personal properties
of the defendant/applicant” was connected with the charges
preferred against the ex-minister and the proof of evidence.
“That the defendant/applicant and his family have been suffering
a lot of hardship as a result of the deprivation,” it added.
The ex-minister lawyer, Mr. Frank Molokwu, who is of the law
firm of Chris Uche (SAN), therefore prayed for, “an order granting
the defendant/applicant and his family members entry to his
premises located at No. 1, Mukhtar Street, Asokoro, Abuja,
currently sealed off by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, in order to retrieve his personal effects and those of
other members of his family.”
The application listed the personal effects needed to be
retrieved from the house as, but not limited to, “35 sets of
caftan/babaringa outfit with caps to match belonging to the
defendant/applicant;
“15 pieces of perfumes belonging to the defendant/applicant
“25 pairs of leather shoes belonging to the
defendant/applicant;
“50 sets of leather handbags belonging to the wife of the
defendant/applicant, Mrs. Lami Bala Mohammed;
“40 pairs of shoes belonging to the defendant/applicant;s wife as
above;
“35 boxes of clothes belonging to the defendant/applicant’s
wife;
“One box containing assorted types of perfumes belonging to the
defendant/applicant’s wife;
“25 pieces of clothing and 10 sets of handbags belonging to the
defendant/applicant’s daughter, Miss Maimuna Bala Mohammed;
*Two boxes of clothes and 12 pairs of shoes belonging to the
defendant/applicant’s daughter, Miss Fatima Bala Mohammed;
*One box containing clothes and materials meant for distribution to
the less privileged in the spirit of Ramadan;
*Three sets of Arabian rugs;
“15 sets of family bed sheets;
*Kitchen utensils comprising of two dinner sets, two sets of
cutlery, four pieces of jugs and five food coolers;
*A black coloured BMW car with registration number ABJ 462 AM
belonging to Umar Aliyu Usman, a domestic aide to the
defendant/applicant; and
“Several other household items in the house.”
At the Tuesday’s proceedings, EFCC’s prosecuting counsel, Mr.
Ben Ikani, informed the judge that the application should not be
allowed to stall proceedings.
While saying he could help to facilitate how the items requested
could be released to the defendant, he sought to respond to the
application.
He, therefore, requested that he be allowed to call his first
witness.
When his request was granted, he called the investigative
officer, Mr. Ishaya Dauda, as the first witness.
Dauda had taken his oath, when the lead defence counsel, Chief
Chris Uche (SAN), noted that the investigator’s statement was not
made to be part of the proof of evidence served on his client.
Although, Ikani said, in response, that the law did not make it
mandatory for him to include the investigator’s statement in the
proof of evidence, he requested an adjournment to enable him to
file an additional proof of evidence to exhibit the investigator’s
written statement.
Justice Talba, therefore, fixed Thursday for the hearing of the
motion seeking the retrieval of personal effects from the sealed
house.
The judge then fixed October 17 for the commencement of
trial.
The defendant was arraigned by the EFCC on May 10, 2017.
The former minister was remanded in Kuje Prison, Abuja, shortly
after he pleaded not guilty to the charges read to him on May
10.
But he was granted bail in the sum of N500m two days later on
May 12, 2017.
The anti-graft agency, in the six counts preferred against him,
specifically alleged that Mohammed, while being the Minister of
Federal Capital Territory Abuja, had in 2014 in Abuja did accept
gratification of a house worth N550m situated at No. 2599 and 2600
Cadastral zone AO4 Asokoro District Abuja from Aso Savings and
LoanLoans Bank PLC.
The EFCC claimed the said house was a reward for performing his
official duties, an act said to be an offence contrary to Section
18(b) of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related
Offences Act 2000, and punishable under Section 18(d) of the same
Act.
Mohammed was also accused of abusing his office while being FCT
Minister and Chairman Board of Directors, Aso Savings and Loans
Bank Plc.
He allegedly used his office and position to confer corrupt and
undue advantage to his associates by allocating four numbers fully
detached duplexes and eleven numbers semi-detached duplexes valued
at N314m through the Presidential Taskforce on the sale of
government houses to them.
The act was said to be an offence punishable under Section 19 of
ICPC Act 2000.
Some of the charges read, “That you Bala A. Mohammed on October
24, 2016 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of the High Court of
the Federal Capital Territory, in the course of filling Asset
Declaration Form at Economic and Financial Crimes Commission did
knowingly fail to make full disclosure of your property to wit:
your property at No. 54 Mike Akhigbe Street, Jabi Abuja and thereby
committed an offence contrary to Section 27(3)(a) of the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004 and
punishable under Section 37(3)(c) of the same Act.