Kano lawyer docked for theft of N4.8m

Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday arraigned a legal practitioner, Hassan Tanko Kyaure before a Kano High Court on crimes bordering on misappropriation of funds and issuance of dud cheque.


Kyaure was alleged to have converted the sum of N4.8m, about $32,000 he was mandated to collect from the tenants of his clients, Yakasai Investment Limited as a rent of their house located on No: 30E, Ado Bayero Road Kano.

According to the charge the accused, sometime between October, 2011 and March 2012 at Kano, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Kano State, while being entrusted with the sum of N4, 480,000 (Four Million, Four Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira Only) being rent collected by him from the estate, Yakasai Group of Companies, committed criminal breach of trust, by dishonestly converting the money to your own use without remitting same to Yakasai Group of Companies.

He is alleged to have committed an offence contrary to section 311 and punishable under section 312 of the Penal Code Law.

The charge reads in part; “That you Hasan Tanko Kyaure on or about 12th March 2012, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Kano State did issue a Diamond Bank Cheque NO: 30609213, in the sum of N1,000,000 (One Million Naira Only) to Yakasai Investment Limited as part payment, which when presented within three months of the date of issuance was dishonored on the ground of insufficient fund to the credit of the account upon which it was drawn and you have thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1)(a) and punishable under section 1(1)(i)(ii) of the Dishonored Cheques (Offences) Act, Cap. D11 Laws of the Federation, 2004.”

The accused pleaded not guilty after listening to the charges read to him by the prosecuting counsel, Nasiru Salele, who requested a date for hearing in view of the plea of the accused.

The defense counsel, Musbahu Ayuba presented a bail application for his client and the presiding judge, Justice Farouq Lawan granted the accused bail in the sum of N500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira Only) and two sureties in like sum.

The case has been adjourned to 21 October, 2013 for hearing.

Source: PM News