The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has dragged Sule
Yusuf Saulawa, a permanent secretary formally attached to the office of
the Deputy Governor of Katsina State, before Honourable Justice Sanusi
Tukur of the Katsina High Court.
The EFCC arraigned Saulawa on a
one count charge of Obtaining by False Pretense contrary to section
1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act,
2006, popularly known as 419
Saulawa allegedly obtained the sum of
N2,500,000 (Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira Only) under the
pretext that the then Deputy Governor’s office would award the
complainant a contract for the supply of fertilizer to all the Local
Government areas in Katsina State.
After obtaining the money from
the complainant under the guise that it is for the purchase of bidding
documents, the accused person cut contact with the complainant.
While
reading his charge, the prosecutor said; “That you Sule Yusuf Saulawa
while being the permanent secretary with the office of the Deputy
Governor, Katsina State, sometimes in 2015 in Katsina, within the
Judicial Division of the High Court of Katsina State with intent to
defraud falsely obtained from one Alhaji Musa Baba, the Chairman of Many
Agro Allied and Chemical Company Nigeria Limited and Diamond Fertilizer
Nigeria Limited the sum of N2,500,000 (Two Million, Five Hundred
Thousand Naira Only) by falsely representing that the Office of the
Deputy Governor of Katsina State would award him contract for the supply
of fertilizer to all the Local Government areas in the state and asked
him to purchase a bidding documents which would be given to him as soon
as he writes a proposal offering best price to the State Government
which he did, but which you knew all to be false and you thereby
committed an offense contrary to section 1 (1)(a) of the Advance Fee
Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under
section 1(3) of the same Act”.
However, Saulawa pleaded not guilty
to charges pressed against him as the matter was adjourned to January
6, 2017 for ruling on bail application and commencement of trial by
Justice Tukur.
