Court Permits Ex-AMCON Boss Ahmed Kuru To Travel Abroad For Medical Treatment Amid ₦76bn Fraud Trial

Lagos State High Court in Ikeja has granted former Managing Director of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Ahmed Kuru, permission to travel abroad for urgent medical care.

Justice Mojisola Dada approved the request and ordered the release of Ahmed Kuru’s international passport to allow him to travel to London for treatment.

Although the illness was not revealed, Kuru’s lawyer, Oyinkan Badejo-Okusanya, told the court that the request was urgent.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) did not oppose the application, but its lawyer, Wahab Shittu (SAN), raised concerns.

He told the court there’s intelligence suggesting that two other defendants in the case were planning to sell off aircraft tied to Arik Air, a company linked to the ongoing fraud case.

Shittu questioned whether the travel request was a cover to facilitate the sale of the planes, believed to be in France.

However, Kuru’s lawyer dismissed those concerns, pointing out that her client was heading to the UK, not France, and wasn’t mentioned in the EFCC’s claims.

Union Bank’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo, also described the EFCC’s claims as speculative and unproven.

After listening to both sides, the judge acknowledged the EFCC’s concerns but declined to issue any order to stop asset sales, stating that no supporting documents were presented.

Ahmed Kuru and four others including former Arik Air CEO, Captain Roy Ilegbodu, and former Receiver Manager, Kamilu Omokide are facing a six-count charge over an alleged ₦76 billion fraud involving Arik Air.

Union Bank and Super Bravo Limited are also part of the case.

The EFCC alleged that the fraud involved false statements, unlawful conversion of funds, and the destruction of an aircraft worth $31.5 million.

All defendants have pleaded not guilty and were earlier granted ₦20 million bail each with one surety, while their passports were held by the court.

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