Abacha’s Son Charged with Keeping Stolen N446B [MESSY DETAILS]

The Federal Government has filed a new charge against the son of the late General Sani Abacha, Mohammed, accusing him of unlawfully receiving about N446.3billion allegedly stolen from government’s coffers between 1995 and 1998.

Mohammed is, in the charge of nine counts, accused of “dishonestly receiving stolen property” and “voluntarily assisting in concealing money.” The charge replaced the earlier one of 121 counts in which Mohammed was charged with Atiku Bagudu, who is excluded from the fresh charge.

According to the new charge, Mohammed concealed 141,100,000 pounds sterling and $384,353,000 in cash and travellers cheques.

The charge, dated February 24, 2014 was filed by a private prosecutor, Daniel Enwelum, who is prosecuting the case on behalf of the Federal Government and upon a fiat dated February 18, 2014, issued to him by the Attorney General of the Federation.

Mohammed’s absence in court stalled his planned arraignment yesterday before Justice Mamman Kolo of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.

Enwelum told the court that even when Mohammed had been served with the charge, with evidence to that effect contained in a sworn affidavit by the court’s bailiff, the accused person refused to attend court for him to be arraigned.

He said the new charge, which excludes Bagudu, who was charged with Mohammed, was filed pursuant to Section 181 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) as an amendment to the earlier charge.

Enwelum urged the court to accept the fresh charge and deemed the receipt of the charge by the defence lawyer, on behalf of the accused person, as proper service. He said the lawyer, Abdulllahi Haruna, promised to receive the charge for his client.

Haruna said Mohammed was absent in court because he was not aware of the new charge. He urged the court to adjourn the case to a further date to enable his client attend court.

Bagudu’s lawyer, Rickey Tarfa (SAN), urged the court to grant an order discharging his client in view of the prosecution’s decision to exclude him from the new charge.

Enwelum, in reaction to Tarfa’s application, argued that it was unnecessary for the court to made a specific order discharging Bagudu from the charge since the government has already excluded him from the amended charge.

Justice Kolo allowed the amended charge. He also granted an order discharging Bagudu from the charge and adjourned the hearing till April 29 for Mohammed’s arraignment.