Alleged N100m scam: Court dismisses Boni Haruna’s request to quash charges

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday dismissed a request by former Adamawa State Governor, Boni Haruna, and three others to quash the 28 count charges preferred against them.
They were being tried for the embezzlement of N100 million public fund. The quartet, who were re-arraigned on February 9, 2010, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 28-count charge of fraud and embezzlement of public fund while Haruna was the governor of Adamawa State between 1999 and 2007.
The others are Mohammed Inuwa Bassi, a former Minority Leader in the Adamawa State House of Assembly; John Babani Elias, an aide of the former governor and Al-Akim Investment Nigeria Limited. They were first arraigned in 2008.
The former governor was alleged to have on or about the November13, 2002 in Yola, fraudulently uttered a Guaranty Trust Bank Plc Cheque no.0348501 dated 13/11/2002 in the sum of N 10,000,000.00 drawn on account number no 3613406139110 to Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, operated by him in the name of Mohammed Inuwa Bassi , with intent that the cheque may be acted as genuine and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 3 (2) (a) of Miscellaneous offences Act, Cap 410 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 as amended by the Tribunals (certain consequential Amendments, etc) Decree no 62 of 1999 and punishable under Section 3 (2) of the same Act.
Similarly, he was alleged to have on or about March 12, 2003, fraudulently uttered a Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, cheque no. 3049628 dated 12/3/2003 in the sum of N16,125,000.00 drawn on account number no, 361 3406139110 to Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, operated by him, in the name of Mohammed Inuwa Bassi with intent that the said cheque may be acted upon as genuine and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 3 (2) (a) of Miscellaneous offences Act.