Bala, ex-minister’s son, facing N1.2bn fraud charge granted permission to travel for hajj

A federal high court in Abuja on Wednesday granted Shamsudeen Bala, former FCT minister’s son, permission to travel for hajj.

Permission for travel is usually granted to defendants who are in urgent need of medical treatment abroad.

At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, Kanayo Okafor, counsel to Bala, asked the court to release the international passport of the defendant to enable him to travel for lesser hajj.

But Ben Ikani, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), opposed the application, saying that the defence counsel was trying to delay the trial.

After listening to both counsel, Nnamdi Dimgba, the judge, granted the defendant permission to travel for hajj.

He ruled that a member of the national assembly shall write an undertaking to guarantee that the defendant would be back in the country.

He ordered that the EFCC verify the identity of the national assembly member before releasing defendant’s international passport.

The judge further ordered 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 until June 26 for continuation of trial.

Bala is facing charges of money laundering to the tune of N1.2bn.