Shamsudeen Bala, the son of a former Minister of the Federal Capital
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.