Wednesday, March 6, 2019

N400m textile deal goes awry as complaint accuse partner of fraud

Juliana Francis
A N400million textile deal has gone awry, leading to two business partners parting ways.

One of the business partners, who wish to remain anonymous, was said to have gone to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, (EFCC) to complain that Mudassir Yusuf defrauded him.
EFCC on Monday, 2019 arraigned Yusuf before Justice Dije Aboki of the Kano State High Court on a two-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust.
Trouble started for Yusuf when the EFCC  received a petition alleging that he collected the sum of N4,000,000 from the complainant in two instalments for the purpose of textiles business.
The complainant alleged that the textile business was expected to yield a profit of N800,000 on or before June 12, 2018 in which the profit was to be shared equally between himself and the defendant.
However, at the expiration of the due date, Yusuf failed to pay the complainant the said profit, and also declined to refund his capital. All efforts made to recover both the money invested and the profit by the complaint also proved abortive.
Count one of the charge reads: "That you, Mudassir Yusuf, on or about 1st June, 2018 at Kano within the jurisdiction of the Kano State High Court, being entrusted with certain property to wit: N2,000,000 belonging to Muntaka Kabir Moyi money given to you to buy and sell textile materials, did honestly misappropriate the sum in respect of the said property and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 311 of the Penal Code and punishable under section 312 of the same Act."
He pleaded "not guilty" to the charges against him. Prosecuting counsel, Michael Ojo, thereafter, asked the court for a date for hearing. Defence counsel, H.U. Muhammad, however, moved the bail application of his client.  Justice Aboki granted the defendant bail in the sum of N1 million and two reliable sureties in like sum, one of whom must have a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court and must be a civil servant of not less than Grade Level 14. The case has been adjourned to April 16, 2019.
In another case, EFCC, Ibadan Zonal Office on Monday arraigned Segun Isaac, Olamide Samuel and Babatunde Afeez before Justice P. I. Ajoko of the Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State.
They were arraigned separately before the judge, and charged with different offences, all bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and possession of fraudulent documents.
While Segun was charged on a two-count charge, Olamide is facing a five-count charge. Babatunde is accused of a seven-count charge. They all pleaded "not guilty" to their respective charges.
Counsel prosecuting the first and second defendants, Sanusi Galadanchi, and his counterpart prosecuting the third defendant, Shamsudeen Bashir, both prayed the court for a hearing date and also for an order to remand the defendants in prison.
The defence counsel for the three defendants, E.E. Jacob, however, informed the court that he had bail applications for his clients.
Justice Ajoko adjourned the case of the first and second defendants to March 20, 2019 for hearing of the bail applications, and April 12, 2019 for trial.
He equally adjourned the case of the third defendant to March 19, 2019 for hearing of bail application and April 12, 2019 for trial, and thereafter ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison pending the hearing of their bail applications.

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