A prosecution witness, Dr. Musa A. Musa, on Thursday, narrated before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja how Shamshudeen Bala, son of the former FCT Minister and now Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, made payments for three units of four bedroom semi-detached duplexes, located in Apo and Guzape areas of Abuja in the name of two companies: Bal-Vac Mining Nigeria Limited and Diakin Telecommunications Limited.
Musa was the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Abuja Investment Company Limited at the time of the purchase of the properties.
Total transaction was N224.7 million.
He revealed that the defendant brought United States dollar cash equivalent of N10,000,000 to him as part payment for the said properties which was converted into banking instrument while the remaining payments were made to the Accounts Department of the company.
Musa, in his evidence-in-chief, revealed that two of the properties were sold to the defendant at the cost of N74,000,000 (Seventy-four Million Naira) each while the third was sold to his company at the cost of N66,700,000 (Sixty-six Million, Seven Hundred Thousand Naira).
He tendered the Bill of Deed Documents of the three properties in evidence before the court.
Earlier, another prosecution witness, Abba Alli, had revealed to the court how the defendant opened accounts for the companies in Aso Savings and Loan Plc., stating that payments were made into these accounts in his name.
Alli said he gave the account opening forms to the defendant, who in turn, filled in the necessary information and returned them to him for processing.
Justice Dimgba adjourned the matter till March 24, 2020 for continuation of trial.
