The Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, February 19,2024 arraigned
Husaini Mohammed Auwal and his company, Humak Global Business Links before
Justice J.O Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja for alleged
illegal financial transactions to the tune of N998,421,564.00 (Nine Hundred and
Ninety Eight Million, Four Hundred and Twenty-one Thousand, Five Hundred and
Sixty-four Naira only).
Auwal and his
company’s arraignment on a six-count charge bordered on Suspicious
Transaction Report (STR) of criminal conspiracy, money laundering and obtaining
money by false pretence.
Count one of
the charge reads: “That you Husaini Mohammed Auwal, being the managing director of Humak
Global Business Link on or between 2016 and 2017 in Abuja, within the
jurisdiction of this honorable court, did carry on, other financial business,
to wit: bureau de change business without a valid licence issued by the Central
Bank of Nigeria contrary to sections 57 and 59 (5) of the Banks and other
Financial Institutions Act, 2020.”
Count two
reads: “That you Husaini Mohammed Auwal, being the managing director of Humak
Global Business Link and Humak Global Business Link on or about 10th August,
2020 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court received a
total inflow of N47,250,000 (Forty-seven Million, Two Hundred Fifty Thousand
Naira only) from Khadab Ventures and Trust Limited into Humak Global Business
Link account, domiciled in First City Monument Bank with account number
4497159015 in excess of N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira) which you failed to
make a report to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and thereby
commit an offence contrary to Sections 11 (1) and (3) of the Money Laundering
(Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
He pleaded
“not guilty” to all the charges when they were read to him, following which
prosecution counsel, Deborah Ademu Eteh asked the court for a trial date and
for the defendant to be remanded in a Correctional facility.
The defence
counsel, however, called the attention of the court to an existing
bail application and prayed the court to grant the defendant bail on liberal
terms.
Justice
Abdulmalik adjourned the matter till February 23, 2024 for hearing of bail
application and March 21, 2024 for trial. She also ordered that the defendant
be remanded in EFCC`s custody until the adjourned date.
Auwal was
arrested by the EFCC following intelligence received by the Commission on April
28, 2022 from the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit ,NFIU, which showed that
the defendant was allegedly receiving huge wire transfers from diverse entities
through his company`s account and would promptly transfer such funds to various
accounts, violating the daily transfer threshold.
Again, the defendant was also allegedly operating a bureau de change without an appropriate licence.
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