Abdulkarim, popularly known as A.A. Zaura, was alleged to have defrauded a Kuwaiti national of $1.3 million under the guise of being in the business of building properties in Dubai, Kuwait and other Arab countries.
According to the charge sheet, Abdulkarim was said to have obtained $200,000 from Dr Jamman Al- Azmi under false pretence. One of the charges read, “That you, Abdulkarim Saleh Abdulssalam, sometime in August 2014, at Kano within the Kano Judicial Division of the High Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00) from Dr Jamman Al- Azmi when you represented that you have the capacity to partner with him for a joint venture business, which representation you knew to be false, and thereby committed an offence 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.”
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges. The EFCC had earlier secured the retrial of the case after the Court of Appeal quashed the earlier discharge and acquittal judgment of the court.
The trial judge, Justice Muhammad Yunusa, granted the defendant bail to continue with the bail terms earlier granted to him by the court. The matter was adjourned to May 2 for the commencement of the trial.