He also denied reports that he dumped Hushpuppi. He stated that the case has been transferred to California and he would still be standing for him.
His lawyer, Pissetzky, had told The PUNCH that he stood a good chance of being acquitted. He also argued that his client is an entrepreneur and influencer.
Gal Pissetzky was quoted to have said;
“He is loved and respected. He is a celebrity.
“I don’t see the reason why he would want to ruin his credibility in the world and his status rather than stay here and face this allegation.
“Anywhere he goes, people will know. Having grown up very poor in Nigeria, Mr Abbas is now paid to pose with high-priced items such as Louis Vuitton bags that people would buy after seeing his posts on Instagram.
“He is an influencer. That’s a job today, as much as it is hard to imagine. That’s a full-time job.”
Hushpuppi was arrested in Dubai and extradited to the United States of America, where he was handed over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The 37-year-old and his gang were alleged to have defrauded 1,926,400 people from different parts of the world and stolen about 1.6bn Dirham (N168bn)
The FBI alleged that Hushpuppi also attempted to dupe an English Premier League football club of £100m (N48.4bn).
