Territory (FCT), paid about N1billion cash for plots of land and houses,
according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The suspect will be arraigned in court today alongside four others— Bird
Trust Agro Allied Ltd, Intertrans Global Logistics Ltd, Diakin
Telecommunications Ltd and Bal-Vac Mining Ltd.
All the suspects are to face a 15-count charge at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
According to the EFCC, the son of the former minister, Bala Mohammed,
paid cash for five plots of land and four properties in highbrow areas
of Abuja to avoid any suspicion by banks and other monitoring agencies.
The purchases include five plots at Asokoro Gardens; House FS 2 B, Green
Acre Estate Apo-Dutse, Abuja; House FS 1A, Green Acre Estate,
Apo-Dutse; FS 1B, Green Acre Estate, Apo-Dutse, Abuja and House 2A, No.
7, Gana Street, Maitama, Abuja.
The anti-graft agency is accusing Shamsudeen of money laundering for
allegedly making cash payment for choice houses in excess of the
statutory limit without going through a financial institution.
Three of the duplexes traced to Shamsudeen have been seized in line with
sections 28 and 34 of the EFCC (Establishment Act) 2004 and Section
13(1) of the Federal High Court Act, 2004, which empower the anti-graft
agency to invoke Interim Assets Forfeiture Clause.
“Section 28 of the EFCC Act reads: ‘Where a person is arrested for an
offence under this Act, the Commission shall immediately trace and
attach all the assets and properties of the person acquired as a result
of such economic or financial crime and shall thereafter cause to be
obtained an interim attachment order from the Court.’
The EFCC gave details of how the plots of land and mansions were bought in the 15 charges against Shamsudeen and four others.
The charges read: “That you Shamsudeen Bala (alias Shamsudeen Mohammed
Bala), Bird Trust Agro Allied Ltd, Intertrans Global Logistics Ltd,
Diakin Telecommunications Ltd and Bal- Vac Mining Ltd sometime in 2015
in Abuja conspired amongst yourselves to make cash payment exceeding the
statutory limit without going through a financial institution and
thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a), of the Money
Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012 and
punishable under Section 15(3) and (4) of the same Act.
Shamsudeen and the others are said to have paid:
•N80million cash to Sunrise Estate Development Ltd for the purchase of
plot nos. 2116 and 2276 at Asokoro Gardens (alias Sunrise Estate) Abuja
which sum exceeded the statutory limit and thereby committed an offence
contrary to Section 1 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as
amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 16(2)(b) and (4) of the
same Act;
•N100million cash to Sunrise Estate Development Ltd for the purchase of
plot nos. 2116 and 2276 at Asokoro Gardens (alias Sunrise Estate) Abuja
which sum exceeded the statutory limit and thereby committed an offence
contrary to Section 1 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as
(amended by Act No. 1 of 2012) and punishable under Section 16(2)(b)
and (4) of the same Act;
•N110,000,000.00 cash to A & K Construction Ltd, Abuja and Sunrise
Estate Development Ltd for the purchase of plot nos. 2116 and 2276 at
Asokoro Gardens, which sum exceeded the statutory limit and thereby
committed an offence contrary to Section 1 of the Money Laundering
(Prohibition) Act, 2011 as (amended by Act No. 1 of 2012) and punishable
under Section 16(2)(b) and (4) of the same Act;
•N200,000,000.00 cash to A & K Construction Ltd Abuja and Sunrise
Estate Development Ltd for the purchase of plot nos. 2116 and 2276 at
Asokoro Gardens, which sum exceeded the statutory limit and thereby
committed an offence contrary to Section 1 of the Money Laundering
(Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012 and punishable
under Section 16(2)(b) and (4) of the same Act.
•N296,000,000.00 cash to A & K Construction Ltd Abuja for the
construction of a house on plot nos. 2116 and 2276 at Asokoro Gardens
(alias Sunrise Estate), Abuja which sum exceeded the statutory limit and
thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 of the Money
Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012) and
punishable under Section 16(2)(b) and (4) of the same Act;
•N45,475,000.00 only to Abuja Investment Company Ltd as part payment for
the purchase of House FS 2 B Green Acre Estate Apo- Dutse Abuja;
*N74,244,005.00 cash to Abuja Investment Company Ltd as part payment for
purchase of House FS 1A Green Acre Estate Apo-Dutse Abuja;
•N74, 244,005.00 only to Abuja Investment Company Limited as part
payment for purchase of FS 1B Green Acre Estate Apo-Dutse, Abuja; and
paid
•N200million cash to Faruk Saleh at Abuja for House 2A, No. 7 Gana Street, Maitama Abuja;
Shamsudeen Bala(alias Shamsuden Mohammed Bala) is accused of failing on
June 2016 to make full declaration of his assets to wit: your accounts
domiciled at Standard Chartered Bank Plc when he completed the EFCC
Asset Declaration Form A, contrary Section 27(1) of the EFCC
(Establishment) Act 2004 and punishable under Section 27(3) of the same
Act.
