A Bureau De Change (BDC) operator, Alhaji Idris Ali, on Monday appeared before the Federal High Court in Abuja, testifying against Muhammad Lawal, Managing Director of Faru Power Solution Limited, in an alleged N280 million fraud case.
Ali, the first prosecution witness, maintained during cross-examination by defence counsel Yakubu Philemon, SAN, that he personally made some of the payments directly into the defendant’s company account.
“I transacted directly with the defendant, my lord. Some of the transfers were made to Faru Power Solution Limited. That is why my lawyer tendered the receipts in court,” he said.
When confronted with a statement allegedly made to the police on 6 June 2024, in which he purportedly admitted paying the money through a business associate, Dr Abbas Waziri, Ali denied it.
Upon being shown one of the statements marked as Exhibit B, Ali firmly denied authorship, stating it bore no signature and was not written by him.
“My lord, I did not make this statement. My signature is not on it. Any statement I made would be signed by me,” he insisted.
He maintained that he handed the money directly to Lawal, not Waziri. Although he acknowledged Exhibit B as a document attributed to him, he stressed that the unsigned portion was not his.
Ali also said that part of the money given to Lawal included cash sums of $50,000 and $60,000 in US dollars.
When asked if he had presented proof of those transactions in court, he responded: “Dr Abbas witnessed the transaction. Besides, the defendant would not have written an undertaking to repay the funds if he had not received them.”
Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the trial until June 17 and 18 for continuation.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, filed a 20-count charge against Lawal, involving allegations of advance fee fraud and related offences amounting to N280 million.
In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/374/2024, Lawal is accused of fraudulently obtaining $60,000 and $50,000 from Ali under the guise of a telex copy investment.
Further allegations include receiving N10 million and N40 million in tranches via two corporate bank accounts purportedly tied to the fraudulent scheme.
In count 15, Lawal is accused of converting the entire N280 million to personal use, allegedly laundering the funds to conceal their criminal origin, in contravention of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
He is also accused of forging a letter of allocation and a deed of assignment relating to a property on Mamman Kontagora Road in Abuja, offences punishable under the Penal Code.
Lawal, who was first arraigned on July 31, 2024, pleaded not guilty and was remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre. Though granted N50 million bail with one surety in August, his bail conditions were later varied on September 12, 2024, following difficulties in meeting the initial terms.
(NAN)