Ex-FCT minister to be arraigned Wednesday

The former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Bala Mohammed will be arraigned in court tomorrow, Wednesday, May 10, 2017, on a fresh six count charge.

Bala arrested and detained on October 24, 2016, after honouring an invitation from the commission over allegations bothering on corruption charges during his tenure.

Reports say the EFCC, On Tuesday, December 13, 2016, dropped the five-count charge which it levelled against the ex-FCT minister.

According to Daily Trust, the anti-graft agency re-arrested Bala on Wednesday, May 3, 2017.

The former FCT minister is accused of "bribery and false declaration of assets amounting to the sum of N864m, including owning properties in Abuja and Kaduna."

The EFCC also alleged that Bala received N550m as bribe from the Aso Savings and Loans Ltd., with respect to some properties in the Asokoro area of Abuja.

The anti-graft agency said Bala also allegedly “failed to make full disclosure in an EFCC asset declaration form about property No 54 Mike Akhigbe Street, Jabi Abuja and declared property at Angwan Sarki, Kaduna State as undeveloped plot whereas it is a fully built house,” Daily Trust reports.

According to the EFCC, Bala also “used his position as chairman Board of Aso Savings to confer corrupt and undue advantage to himself, by allocating four numbers fully detached duplexes and 11 numbers semi-detached duplexes valued at N314 million only through the Presidential Taskforce on Sale of Governments Houses.”

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Bala Muhammed’s counsel, Chris Uche (SAN) filed a motion in court challenging the re-arrest of the former FCT minister.

Uche wants the court to grant Bala bail, pending his trial. He also told the court that the EFCC dropped the initial five count charge levelled against the ex-minister.

A High Court sitting in Abuja had earlier granted Bala Muhammed bail on Tuesday, November 29, 2016.