MONEY LAUNDERING: Witness gives evidence of Bauchi gov son’s huge bank deposits

The fifth prosecution witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Idoko Akor Idoko, on Wednesday told the court how Shamsudeen Bala Mohammed, the son of the governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, made several cash deposits and withdrawals from his four accounts in Standard Chartered Bank.

Idoko who is a branch sales and service executive with the Standard Chartered Bank told the court that Shamsudeen Bala opened four personal accounts with the bank, to wit: one Naira account and three domiciliary accounts, with payments made into the accounts in later part of 2014. He said the accounts had since been closed since April 30, 2019.

In his examination-in-chief, the witness further revealed that the three domiciliary accounts are for dollars, pounds and euros respectively. Shown the instruments of deposit and withdrawal with statements of said accounts, Idoko confirmed the documents to be letters from EFCC to the bank and vice versa, Bank Verification Number printout, bundle of cash deposit slips, a bundle of withdrawal slips, bank account statements and the bank account opening form.

Prosecution counsel, Wahab Shittu, tendered the documents as exhibits and they were admitted by the court.

Meanwhile, another witness, Saadu Abdullahi Sani, a staff of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) revealed that he was the link between the defendant and the lawyer who assisted him to register the names of the companies that were used for the alleged fraud.

Sani claimed he had known Mohammed for more than 20 years. He revealed further that the defendant collected the CAC registration forms from him, signed and provided addresses and list of directors, then returned same to him to forward to the lawyer who completed the registrations.

READ ALSO: EFCC arraigns ex-Kwara commissioner for alleged money laundering

Shittu asked that the witness’ statements be shown to him which he recognized and confirmed as his. The court then admitted the statements as exhibits SB 44.

Justice Dimgba then adjourned the matter to February 25, 26 and March 24, 2020, for the continuation of trial.

Governor Bala Mohammed was a former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister. His son Shamsudeen is being prosecuted by the EFCC over alleged money laundering.

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