Govt. drops N446b theft charge against Abacha's son

REPRIEVE came the way of Mohammed, son of the late Head of State Gen. Sanni Abacha as the Federal Government yesterday dropped a nine-count charge against him over alleged complicity in the theft of N446.3 billion during his father’s administration.

   In the nine-count charge preferred against Mohammed in February 2014, the government accused Abacha of unlawfully receiving about N446.3 billion allegedly stolen from government’s coffers between 1995 and 1998.

   In count one, Mohammed was alleged to have, between August and December 1995 in Abuja, dishonestly received $36,480,000.00 made up of cash and travellers’ cheques, property of the Federal Government, believed to have been stolen.
Count two alleged that Mohammed, between August and December 1995 in 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 in Abuja, dishonestly received $26,913,500.00 believed to have been stolen from the Federal Government.

   However, the country’s Chief Law Officer, the Attorney-General of Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke, acting for the Federal Government yesterday applied to Justice Mamman Kolo of the Abuja High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, on the grounds of “fresh facts” that just emerged concerning the case.

  Although Abacha was absent from court on two previous occasions when he was to be arraigned, he was present in court yesterday when the private prosecuting counsel, Mr. Daniel Enwelum, informed the court of Adoke’s instruction to discontinue the case.

   Enwelum said: “I have been instructed by the AGF and Minister of Justice to withdraw the charges as presently filed before this court, because there are fresh facts and documents available to him.

  “In this circumstance, he instructed me to file a notice of withdrawal without prejudice to future cause of action to be taken by his (AGF’s) office.

  “In the light of that, I have filed a notice of withdrawal dated June 17, 2014. I humbly apply to withdraw the charges accordingly.”

   Abacha’s lawyer, Abdullahi Haruna, did not oppose the application for withdrawal.

 Justice Kolo subsequently, in a ruling on the application, made an order striking out the charges against the accused person.

Source: The Guardian