Shamsudeen Bala, son of former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Bala Mohammed has been granted permission to travel for the lesser hajj in Saudi Arabia by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of an Abuja Federal High Court.
At the resumed hearing, the defence counsel, Kanayo Okafor, prayed the court to release the International Passport of the defendant to enable him travel for a lesser hajj in Saudi Arabia.
He said the defendant who has been enjoying his bail had never tempered with his trial and promised the court that the defendant will be back before the next adjourned date to continue with his trial.
The prosecuting counsel, Ben Ikani, who vehemently opposed to the application stated that the defence is trying to delay the trial.
According to him, there have been intelligent report that there are people who are trying to delay the trial and this is a way of delaying it.
“If I will be given seven days to finish this trial, I will finish it within the seven days as the prosecution is ready,” he said.
After listening to both counsels, the Judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, granted the defendant permission to travel for the hajj.
Justice Dimgba held that a member of the National Assembly shall write an undertaking to guarantee that the defendant will be back to the country.
He ordered that the EFCC to verify the identity of the member before the defendant’s international passport can be released.
The Judge further ruled that the defendant must deposit his international passport to the registry of the court within 24 hours of his return to the country.
He adjourned the matter to June 26 for continuation of trial.
Shamsudeen was re-arraigned before the court on an amended 15-count charge bordering on money laundering, alongside Bird Trust Agro Allied Limited, Intertrans Global Logistic Limited, Diakin Telecommunications Limited and Bal-Vac Mining Nigeria Limited.
SEYI ANJORIN, Abuja
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