The much touted arraignment of Mohammed, the eldest son of former Military Head of State, late General Sani Abacha was stalled at an Abuja High Court.
At the proceeding which was meant for arraignment, the accused, Mohammed, was conspicuously absent in court but his lawyer cited health reasons.
Similarly, at the last adjournment, Mohammed was absent in court, but his lawyer, Abdulllahi Haruna told the judge that the accused person was absent because he was not aware of the new charge, and therefore urged the court to adjourn the case, which the court obliged.
However, Mohammed’s counsel, Dr R.O Atabo, leading 7 others lawyers told the court that the accused person could not appear in court yesterday because he was seriously ill, and therefore pleaded an adjournment to enable him appear on the next adjourned date.
Private prosecutor hired by the Federal Government Daniel Enwelum, did not oppose the application.
It was against this backdrop that the trial judge, Justice Maman Kolo adjourned the matter to June 18 for the arraignment of Mohammed Abacha.
Recall that the Federal Government had instituted a fresh 9-count charge against Mohammed, accusing him of unlawfully being in possession of about
N446.3billion believed to have been pilfered from the treasury of government between 1995 and 1998.
Mohammed is accused of “dishonestly receiving stolen property” and “voluntarily assisted in concealing money” belonging to the Federal Government. In the fresh charge marked CR.21-24/2008 dated February 24, 2014 , the stolen money alleged to have been received by Mohammed, and which he was accused of concealing include 141,100,000 pound sterling and 384,353,000 UD dollars made up of cash and travelers cheques.
In count one, “Mohammed was alleged to have between August and December 1995 at Abuja, dishonestly receiving $36,480,000.00 made up of cash and travelers cheques property of the Federal Government, believed to have been stolen.
Count two among others alleged that Mohammed, between August and December 1995 at Abuja, voluntarily assisted in concealing $57,960,000.00 believed to have been stolen from the Federal Government.
Count three alleged that he, between October and December 1996 at Abuja, dishonestly received $26,913,500.00 believed to have been stolen from the federal Government.
The prosecution alleged in count four that Mohammed, within the same time, voluntarily assisted in concealing $26,913,500.00 allegedly stolen from the Federal Government.
Count five alleged that he, sometime in June 1997 at Abuja dishonestly received $10,000,000.00 believed to have been stolen from the Federal Government.
The alleged offences are said to be punishable under sections 317 and 319 of the Penal Code.
