Court remands Adamawa’s ex-acting governor Fintiri in Kuje Prison

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday remanded Adamawa State’s former Acting Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri in Kuje Prison pending the determination of his bail application.

This followed his arraignment yesterday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge bordering on money laundering.

He was alleged to have defrauded the state to the tune of N970 million and another $4.830 million while he was governor of the state.

The five-count charge was contained in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR /131/2016 and signed by one Sylvanus Tahir of the Legal and Prosecution Department of the EFCC.

“That you, Ahmadu Umaru (Alias Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri) and Mayin Construction and Properties Limited on or about October 2, 2014, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did indirectly disguise the origin of the sum of N80,000.000.00 only transferred from an account number 0313000301 domiciled at Eco Bank Plc operated by Timeplex Nigeria into account number 5742019591 domiciled at Eco Bank Plc, operated by Mayim Construction and Properties Limited which sum you know is proceeds of an unlawful act; to wit: bribery and corruption and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2), (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under section 15(3) and (4) of the same Act,” it read in part.

The former acting governor pleaded not guilty to all the charges and afterwards, his counsel, Mahmud Magaji, applied for bail on the ground that the alleged offence was bailable.

The hinged his argument for bail on Section 35 (6) of the 1999 Constitution which presumes his client innocent until proven guilty.

He also relied on Sections 158 and 163 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act in urging the court to admit the defendant to bail.

Magaji assured the court that Fintiri would not jump bail.

Opposing the application, the prosecuting counsel, Peters Aso, referred the court to a document filed by the defence concerning a medical issue of the defendant, adding that Fintiri may have lied on oath as the dates of his examination and the disclosure of the ailment were conflicting.

He subsequently prayed the court to deny the bail application on the ground that he was not sure the defendant would come for trial if granted bail.

The trial judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, subsequently fixed ruling on the application for today.