A Federal High Court in Abuja has discharged and acquitted Shamsudeen Bala, the son of the governor of Bauchi state, Bala Mohammed, of N1.1 billion fraud.
Shamsudeen Bala was charged with financial offenses by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), together with Bird Trust Agro Allied Ltd., Bal-Vac Mining Ltd., Intertrans Global Logistics Ltd., and Diakin Telecommunications Ltd.
Among other things, the EFCC said that Bala used the businesses to launder more than N1.1 billion.
It was said that Bala went on to buy homes in affluent areas of Abuja and paid cash for them to conceal the stolen money at his disposal.
The properties listed by the commission as belonging to the assets included five plots of land at Asokoro Gardens, House FS 2 B, Green Acre Estate, Apo-Dutse, House FS 1A, Green Acre Estate, Apo-Dutse, House FS 1B, Green Acre Estate, Apo-Dutse, Abuja, and House 2A, No. 7, Gana Street, Maitama, Abuja.
In his judgment on Tuesday, the presiding judge of the court, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, ruled that the prosecution failed to prove its allegations beyond reasonable doubt as required under the law. Hence, Bala was discharged and acquitted.
While explaining his ruling, Justice Dimgba noted the defense’s claim that the defendant was in shock and disarray when he provided his testimony to the EFCC’s investigators had not been effectively and credibly disputed by the prosecution.
Also, the defendant failed to disclose his joint bank account on his asset disclosure form, and the judge noticed that the defendant’s wife was now in charge of it.
He said: “The said account was no longer under his (Bala’s) control but under the control of his wife.
“The prosecution could have thoroughly investigated the claim of the defendant that he acted in a state of shock and disarray when filling the asset declaration form.
“Only the prosecution has the power to dismantle and scientifically investigate the defendant’s claim as to his state of mind during his arrest.”
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