Ex-governor Haruna loses bid to quash charge

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Nnamdi Felix / Abuja

Former governor of Adamawa state, Mr. Boni Haruna on Thursday failed in his bid to stop his trial as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja refused his application to quash the 28 counts charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Boni was alleged to have embezzled a little over a Hundred million Naira from the treasury of the state durring his two terms of office as governor of the state between 1999 and 2007.

Those standing trial alongside the former governor are Mohammed Inuwa Bassi, a former Minority Leader in the Adamawa State House of Assembly, John Babani Elias, an aide of the ex governor and a company, Al-Akim Investment Nigeria Limited.

They were first arraigned in 2008 and were further re-arraigned on Tuesday, February 9, 2010. The trial had suffered series of delays owing to multiple applications by the accused persons.

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The former governor was alleged to have on or about the 13th day of November, 2002 at Yola fraudulently uttered a Guaranty Trust Bank Plc Cheque no.0348501 dated 13/11/2002 in the sum of N 10,000,000.00 drawn on account number no 3613406139110 to Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, operated by him in the name of Mohammed Inuwa Bassi , with intent that the said cheque may be acted as genuine and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 3 (2) (a) of Miscellaneous offences Act, Cap 410 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 as amended by the Tribunals ( certain consequential Amendments, etc) Decree no 62 of 1999 and punishable under Section 3 (2) of the same Act.

Similarly, he was alleged to have on or about the 12th day of March, 2003 while at the helm of affirs in the state, fraudulently uttered a Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, cheque no. 3049628 dated 12/3/2003 in the sum of N16,125,000.00 drawn on account number no, 361 3406139110 to Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, operated by him, in the name of Mohammed Inuwa Bassi with intent that the said cheque may be acted upon as genuine and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 3 (2) (a) of Miscellaneous offences Act, Cap 410 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 as amended by the Tribunals (certain Consequential Amendments, etc), Decree no. 62 of 1999 and punishable under Section 3 (2) of the same Act.

Shortly after the court granted them bail, the accused persons challenged the jurisdiction of the court to try them and also argued that the proof of evidence against them did not show a prima-facie evidence linking them to the alleged crimes and argued that the entire charges brought against them were an abuse of court process.

They further argued that the offence for which they were charged took place in Adamawa state and not Abuja and applied for their trial to be transferred to Adamawa state.

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