The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned Sule Saulawa, a Permanent Secretary attached to the office of the Katsina State Deputy Governor, on a one count charge of Obtaining by False Pretense.

Saulawa was alleged to have collected the sum of N2.5 million from a contractor after promising to secure him a contract to supply fertilizer to every local government in the state.

According to the EFCC, the crime is contrary to section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

Saulawa was alleged to have obtained the money under the guise that it is for the purchase of bidding documents for the contract, after which he cut off all contacts with the complainant.

The EFCC stated that during its Investigation, one Kabiru Dan-Asali disclosed in his statement that he was present at the time the complainant, Musa Baba, gave one Nasiru who is a boy to the complainant, the said amount on behalf of the accused person.

According to the anti-graft agency, “The accused person also confirmed this in his voluntary statement he made to the EFCC, but still “pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him in court.”

Prosecution counsel, Sa’ad Hanafi urged the court to fix a date for trial to commence, as well as for the accused person to be remanded in prison custody.

But counsel to the accused person, Bashir Mohammed, prayed the trial judge,Sanusi Tukur, to admit his client to bail pending the determination of the case.

The bail application was objected to by the prosecution who argued that the accused would likely jump bail because he had once dishonored the administrative bail granted to him by the EFCC.

Hanafi asked that the accused be remanded in prison custody, urging the court to order a speedy trial of the matter.

Justice Tukur subsequently remanded the accused person in prison custody and adjourned the matter to January 6, 2017 for ruling on bail application and commencement of trial.