A member of the House of Representatives, Gabriel Saleh Zock, was on Thursday arraigned before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama, Abuja over his alleged complicity in N185million fraud.

Zock, who represents Kachia Kagarko Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, was arraigned on a two-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He was accused of defrauding Engineer Adeyemi Kamar of the said 185m under false pretences, claiming that he would assist Kamar to influence the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to secure Right of Occupancy (R of O) in respect of his (Kamar’s) property at the Guzape area of the FCT.

Zock pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him, following which the lead prosecuting lawyer, Mrs. Maryam Aminu Ahmed prayed the court to remand the defendant in prison pending the determination of his bail application.

The defendant, who said he was brought to court from the custody of the EFCC, was not represented by a lawyer.

On realising that the defendant has no legal representation, Justice Halilu Yusuf asked a lawyer in court, Adebara Adeniyi to represent Zock for the purpose of his arraignment and the application for bail.

Mrs. Aminu Ahmed did not object to Adeniyi’s appearance but noted that the bail application filed by the defendant on February 9, 2022, was not ripe for hearing.

The prosecuting lawyer said she also require time to study the application and respond to issues raised in it by the defendant.

Adeniyi later applied orally for bail for the defendant but was overruled by Justice Yusuf, who noted that a written application had already been filed for the defendant by another lawyer.

Justice Yusuf then ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the EFCC until February 16 when his bail motion would be heard.

(The Nation)

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