A Magistrate court sitting in Ilorin has issued a bench warrant of arrest against former Group Managing Director of Harmony Holdings, Mr Abdullahi AbdulMajeed over contempt.
AbdulMajeed was accused of constantly disobeying court summons to appear before it over a case of defamation of character and falsehood leveled against him by a former Group Executive Director of the Holdings, Mr Adebayo Sanni.
At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, Counsel to Sanni, Mr Nurudeen Adegboye prayed the court to issue a bench warrant of arrest on AbdulMajeed citing sections 135 and 358 of the Criminal Administration Justice Law of Kwara State to back his prayers.
In granting Adegboye’s prayers, Magistrate Hafusat Alege said: “in view of the submission of the counsel to the petitioner and the relevant sections of the constitution cited, I am inclined to issue a bench warrant of arrest on the defendant to compel him to appear before this honourable court to answer criminal charges against him,”
She therefore adjourned the case till June 20, 2024 for further hearing.
It would be recalled that Sanni had dragged AbdulMajeed to court to clear his name over allegations of embezzlement of the sum of N170 million belonging to the firm levelled against him by AbdulMajeed during a press conference on October 12, 2022.
AbdulMajeed had during the press conference in retaliation to a protest by the staff of the company over the missing N170 million accused Sanni of selling Harmony Holdings property in Wuse, Abuja and used the proceed of N170 million to build his house which he claimed formed basis of the case between Sanni and the Economic and Finance Crime Commission (EFCC).
Debunking the allegations, Sanni had through another press conference denied any involvement in a case of N170 million related to Harmony Investment Property Development Company (HIPDC) or any of its subsidiaries before the EFCC.
The former GED who said he had nothing to do with the missing N170m in Harmony Holdings explained that all the transactions of the agency were duly approved by it’s Board of Directors during his time in the place.
Sanni had while debunking the allegations said “On Wednesday, October 12, 2022, the management of Harmony Holdings joined the fray of political propagandist with a press conference at the company’s head office, this time at a higher tempo tending towards criminal defamation of my character.
“In addressing the HIPDC staff protest and the staff demand for the whereabout of the company’s N170 million, Abdulmajeed Abdullahi had this to say in reference to my person as quoted by several media houses in attendance; ” the EFCC found him wanting of corruption to the tune of N170 million.
“That is what they were able to identify at that time,”.
“I Adebayo Sanni does not have, have never had and is not involved in any case of N170 million related to HIPDC, Harmony Holdings or any of her subsidiaries,”.
