The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, November 19, 2020 arraigned one Murtala Sani before Justice Mohammed Bello Shinkafi of the Zamfara State High Court on a one count charge of criminal breach of trust.
The accused person allegedly collected rice from the complainant worth N26,945,000 only, under the guise of distributing same to staff of Zamfara State government with the agreement that he will repay the money in two months, but fraudulently diverted the proceeds to his personal use.
The charge read that “you, Murtala M. San,i at Gusau within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, while being entrusted with certain property to wit: 1,536 bags of rice worth N26,945,000 by Rabi Bello Suleiman, with agreement that you will supply the said rice to civil servants in Zamfara State, you committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the sum of N20,100,000 being proceeds of the sale of rice and you thereby committed an offense contrary to section 311 and punishable under section 312 of the Penal Code Law.”
The accused person pleaded not guilty to the one count charge.
Prosecution counsel, Musa Isah, requested for a trial date in view of the plea of the defendant.
Defense counsel, Gambo Isah, applied for bail on behalf of the accused person, but Isah objected on the grounds that the defendant had earlier jumped the administrative bail granted to him by the Commission.
Justice Shinkafi consequently refused the bail application and remanded the defendant in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service, while the matter was adjourned till January 11, 2020 for trial.
