N1b Money Laundering: Bala Mohammed’s Son Shamsudeen To Appear in Court Today
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC will today arraign Shamsudeen Mohammed, son of a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Bala Mohammed, for allegedly paying N1 billion cash for plots of land and houses.
Shamsudeen is expected to be arraigning alongside four others – Bird Trust Agro Allied Limited, Intertrans Global Logistics Limited, Diakin Telecommunications Limited and Bal-Vac Mining Limited.
The EFCC leveled the allegations against Shamsudeen in a statement of claim it made against him in a suit.
The EFCC, which is bringing a case of money laundering against the accused, said Shamsudeen 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.
One of the charges against the accused reads: “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 were said to have paid:
• N80 million 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;
• N100 million 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
• N200 million cash to Faruk Saleh at Abuja for House 2A, No. 7 Gana Street, Maitama Abuja.
Shamsudeen is also accused of failing 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.”
