Months after he fled to avoid being remanded in custody over N1.228m debt, Adamawa Commissioner for Special Duties, Hon. Sanusi Faruk, has been re-arraigned before a Yola Upper Area Court 3 for allegedly defrauding Saidu Muhammed, the Driver and Special Assistant to Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, of N2.270 million.
Sanusi, a former commissioner of Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, now redeployed to the Ministry for Special Duties, had deserted the court following before a pronouncement by the judge to remand him in prison custody.
He is facing charges of criminal conspiracy and breach of trust in repayment of N1.28m loan.
PUNCH reported that while serving as commissioner in the sports ministry, Sanusi allegedly received of N1 million from the staff compulsory savings office, with a promise to refund the money with a 20 per cent interest totalling N1.228 million by December 2020.
When he defaulted, the incumbent commissioner and two other directors of the ministry who stood as guarantors of the loan dragged him to a Yola court.
However, while the judge was about to give his ruling on the matter, Sanusi pleaded to ease himself and hurriedly fled the court premises in his car.
The same Sanusi was sighted again in court on Tuesday over another criminal complaints filed by Gov Finitri’s driver, Saidu Muhammed, who vowed to recoup the balance of a N2.5m Toyota Camry that he sold to the defendant.
Saidu told the court that he sold the car on September 22, 2020 to the accused person, who had only paid N230,000 to date.
During the court proceedings, counsel to the commissioner who was standing in the dock, urged the court to strike out the case.
He averred that the case will amount to abuse of court process since there was similar case at the state high court involving both parties though of a civil nature.
The judge, however, dismissed the preliminary objection and ordered that the statement of complaint be read to the defendant to enable him take his plea.
After, taking the plea of the accused, the judge who granted bail to the commissioner on the grounds that he must be bring a reliable surety who is either a commissioner, permanent secretary or civil servant not below grade level 15 or else be remanded in a peaceful custodial centre; adjourned the case to 20th September, 2021.
