The Kano State government on Thursday arraigned the former managing director of the state’s Agricultural Supply Company (KASCO), Alhaji Bala Muhammad Inuwa, and two others for alleged N4 billion fraud.
The two others are the ex-MD’s son, Bala Muhammad Inuwa, and incorporated Trustees of the Association of Compassionate Friends.
The defendants were arraigned on a 10-count charge of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, false statements to cover up the transaction, and mismanagement of grant money.
They, however, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.
The Kano State Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) investigated the alleged fraud while the Office of the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice filed the charges against the defendants.
The PCACC’s investigation revealed that the defendants diverted over N4 billion from the company’s account into personal accounts.
However, the defendant’s Counsel, Prof. Nasir Aliyu, argued that the defendants cannot be arraigned due to the non-availability of some facilities, including the defendant’s statements and list of witnesses.
He stressed that without the facilities it would amount to a hindrance of the defendant’s constitutional rights to fair hearing in line with Kano State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2019.
The counsel again made an oral plea for the court to allow the defendants to continue to enjoy the bail granted them by another High Court on the matter.
However, the prosecution counsel, Zaharadeen Kofar-Mata, asked his colleague to file a proper bail application before the court.
In her ruling, Justice Hafsat Yahaya Sani ordered the defence counsel to bring a bail application by Friday.
She ordered that the defendants be remanded in a correctional centre in the state.
The judge adjourned for hearing of the substantive suit to December 6.
