The trial of of Sadiq Mustapha, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Abueleven resumed on Wednesday, January 29, before Justice Mallong Peter of the Federal High Court, Kaduna, with Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, presenting another witness and more evidence against him.
Mustapha was arraigned by the EFCC on a two-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N6,100,000 and operating a bureau de change without licence from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, -offences to which he pleaded not guilty.
At the resumed hearing, the EFCC presented a second witness (PW2), Abdulrahman Muhammad Danmallam, a detective with the EFCC, who, while being led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, S.A Sa’ad, told the court that he was among the team that investigated the allegations against the defendant, following a petition by one Abdulsalam Danlami Abubakar, who alleged that the defendant obtained the sum of N6.1 million for exchange of $20,000 USD, but failed deliver.
The witness further told the court that upon the receipt of the petition, a letter of investigation was written to Fidelity Bank for the account opening package and other transactions of the defendant and that analysis of the information received showed that the sum of N6.1 million was paid into his company’s account, following which he said his team contacted the CBN to verify if the defendant and his company were licenced to operate a bureau de change or any financial institution, to which the CBN responded in the negative.
Danmallam, further told the court that sometime in March, 2016, the defendant refunded the sum of N2 million to the complainant, prior to the petition.
He said, “He had paid N1.5 million and another N2.5million through the EFCC zonal office, via bank draft.”
Tendered and admitted in evidence were various documents.
The case was thereafter adjourned tll February 12 for continuation of hearing.
