The Police on Thursday arraigned a 49-year-old businessman, Ali Baba, before a Kado Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, for allegedly defrauding his clients of N505,000 for rams.
The police charged Baba of Monkey village by SPAR Supermarket Life Camp, Abuja, with criminal breach of trust and cheating.
The defendant however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The Prosecution Counsel Fabian Nwaforji, told the court that on July 20, Faruq Aminchi of Dape Distict, Life Camp, Abuja, and Mohammed Inuwa of Gwarinpa, Abuja, both reported the matter at Life Camp Police station.
Nwaforji alleged that in April, both complainants entrusted the some of N2.8 million to the defendant to purchase rams for them.
He alleged that the defendant bought 34 rams instead of 41 rams, adding that all effort to recover the remaining seven rams or the monetary value of N505, 000 had proved abortive.
According to Nwaforji, the offence contravenes Sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.
Mrs Charity Samuel, counsel to the defendant prayed the court to grant bail to her client in the most liberal terms, while citing sections 35(4) and 36(5) of the 1999 constitution and sections 158 and 165 of the Administrative Criminal Justice Act 2015.
The defence counsel also said the defendant would not jump bail or interfere in the investigation, adding that the defendant had a reliable and gainfully employed surety.
The prosecution counsel, however, did not object to the bail application made by the defence counsel.
The Area Court Judge Mohammed Wakili, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000 with a surety in like sum.
Wakili ordered that the defendant must provide a reliable surety, who must reside within the jurisdiction of the court.
He added that the surety must provide a print out of BVN, two recent passport photographs and a valid identification card, which must be verified by the court’s registrar.
The Judge adjourned the case until Sept. 6, for hearing.
