A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed January 5, 2016 for the trial of former national chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Haliru Mohammed Bello and his son, Abba.
The date was fixed due to an undisclosed illness which the former PDP chairman is being treated for in a hospital in Abuja.
Mohammed and his son are standing trial alongside BAM projects and Properties Ltd on a four-count criminal charge for allegedly collecting N600 million from the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd).
The duo were to be docked on Tuesday before Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed, but the prosecution informed the court earlier that the former PDP chairman was on admission in an Abuja hospital for an undisclosed illness.
Mohammed and his son were part of those indicted in the N31 billion funds meant for the purchase of arms to fight the Boko Haram insurgents, which the Office of the National Security Adviser distributed to some PDP stalwarts for the 2015 election campaign.
A former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda, currently on trial in two separate courts had, in a statement, admitted paying about N300 million into the account of BAM Properties which was reportedly provided by Haliru Mohammed.
Abba Mohammed is alleged to have received N600 million from NSA office in the name of BAM Properties but the reason for the transfer of the money to the company was not disclosed.
The EFCC has already arrested and arraigned many top officials and companies related to the previous administration for receiving large payments from the NSA from the funds set aside for the procurement of arms to tackle Boko Haram.