The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Abdulsalam Abdulkarim, the defeated senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Kano Central in the just-concluded election before a Federal High Court in Kano.
Abdulkarim, aka A.A. Zaura, was arraigned before the court on a four-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence on Wednesday.
A. A. Zaura was defeated in the recent national assembly election where NNPP’s victory was soiled in controversy with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s Ibrahim Shekarau.
Zaura was being accused of defrauding a Kuwaiti national of $1.3million in a business deal in Dubai, Kuwait and other Arab countries.
This re-arraignment followed quashing of the earlier discharge and acquittal by the the Court of Appeal and ordered his retrial.
“That you, Abdulkarim Saleh Abdulssalam, sometime in August 2014, at Kano within the Kano Judicial Division of the High Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00) from Dr. Jamman Al- Azmi when you represented that you have the capacity to partner with him for a joint venture business, which representation you knew to be false, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1[1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act”, the charge reads.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Counsel to the accused, Ishaq Mudi Dikko (SAN), asked the trial judge for a bail.
Justice Muhammad Yunusa ruled that the defendant continue with the bail terms earlier granted to him by the court.
The case has been thereafter adjourned to May 2 for beginning of the trial.
