The Police on Monday arraigned a 27-year- old Bureau de Change operator, Malam Ibrahim Lawal, before an Abuja Magistrates? Court for allegedly issuing fake 10,000 dollars notes to Mohammed Anani. Lawal is standing trial on a four-count charge of joint act, criminal breach of trust, cheating and screening an offender.
Police prosecutor Simon Emmanuel told the court that the case was reported at the Life Camp Police Station by Anani of Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, on December 19. Emmanuel said the complainant gave the accused N1.4 million cash to change into dollars for him, and that the complainant realised, after the transaction, that the dollars were fake.
He said the accused was at De-Silva Guest Inn Hotel in Gwarimpa Estate, Abuja, venue of the transaction, in company of two of his friends, who later ran away with the N1.4 million.
Lawal, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the prosecutor prayed the court to fix a date for hearing to enable him assemble his witnesses.
Magistrate Asma`u Akanbi, in her ruling, granted the accused bail in the sum of N500,000 with a surety who must be a civil servant residing within the jurisdiction of the court. She adjourned the case to January 21 for hearing.
