THE absence of the defense counsel has stalled the arraignment of the Kano Central Senatorial candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Abdulkarim Saleh Abdulsalam, aka A.A.
The Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Zaura on multiple fraud charges before a Federal High Court in Kano.
According to a statement by the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, the case suffered yet another postponement on Monday, January 30, owing to the absence of the defence counsel.
“It is the fourth time the arraignment failed to proceed, primarily because of the politician’s failure to appear in court.
“At the last adjourned date, the matter could not go on due to the absence of both Zaura and the trial judge.
“But Zaura was in court today, having been picked up at his residence by operatives of the Commission,” the Commission said.
EFCC said that when the matter was called, the prosecution counsel, A.T Habib, informed the court that she received a letter from the defence counsel, I.G Waru, informing her that he would not be in court as he had a matter at the Supreme Court.
Justice M. N Yunusa adjourned the matter till February 6, 2023, to enable Zaura to take his plea with his counsel present in court.
Zaura is being re-arraigned by the Kano Zonal Command of the EFCC following a Court of Appeal ruling which directed his retrial after dismissing his acquittal by Justice A. L Allagoa of the Federal High Court.
He was accused of allegedly defrauding a Kuwaiti Citizen of the sum of $1,320,000 (One Million Three Hundred and Twenty Thousand Dollars) on the pretext that he is in the business of building properties in Dubai, Kuwait and other Arab countries.
A reporter with the ICIR
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