EFCC files new fraud charges against Bauchi gov-elect, Bala Mohammed

Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed fresh charges against Bala Mohammed, governor-elect of Bauchi state, TOPNAIJA.NG reports.

Mohammed was charged on six counts bordering on failure to declare his assets and false information.

According to the information sent by the court registrar to Chile Okoroma, the EFCC director of legal services and prosecution, the governor-elect will be arraigned in court 26 at the federal capital territory (FCT)  high court, Maitama in Abuja, on Monday.

“He will be arraigned on six counts bordering on false declaration of assets and giving false information to the EFCC,” a source in EFCC was quoted to have said.

“There are some properties he bought which he did not disclose to the EFCC but were discovered. The details will be unveiled when the charges will be read to him.

“A renowned legal practitioner and the EFCC counsel, Wahab Shittu, has been assigned to prosecute Bala Mohammed, before a new judge.”

The charges read in part: “That you Bala A. Mohammed on or about October 24, 2016 at the head office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Abuja within the judicial division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory made a false statement to the detective, Ishaya Dauda, investigating officer with the Economic Governance Section of the EFCC, Abuja to wit: that you acquired house situate at No. 2599 and 2600, Cadastal Zone AO4 Asokoro District Abuja through a mortgage facility from Aso Savings & Loan Bank Plc and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 09 (2) (a) of the EFCC (Establishment) Act 2004 and punishable under Section 39(2)(b) of the same Act.”

A former minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), the EFCC had filed a seven-count charge of corruption against him in 2017 but the minister pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Mohammed contested Bauchi governorship election under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and defeated Mohammed Abubakar, incumbent governor of the state and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).