Ebun Francis
A Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba on Friday granted bail in the sum of N100m to Shamsudeen Bala Mohammed, a son of a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Bala Mohammed Bala.
The court had on Wednesday remanded Shamsudeen in Kuje Prison after he was arraigned on 15 counts of N1.1bn money laundering offences by the EFCC. He will among other bail conditions, provide two sureties to enter into N50m bail bond each.
The defendant, who was produced in court handcuffed by prison officials on Friday, will remain in custody pending the time he meets the bail conditions.
Shamsudeen is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for allegedly paying millions of naira on different occasions totalling about N1.1bn for the purchase of houses without going through financial institutions.
The presiding Judge ordered an accelerated hearing in the case and fixed March 27 and 28 for commencement of trial.