The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has said it will for the third time, arraign Mohammed Adoke (SAN) on Tuesday on amended money laundering charges involving about N400 million.
The former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice will be re-arraigned alongside businessman Aliyu Abubakar by the EFCC before the Federal High Court in Abuja on the same set of charges.
It would be recalled that on February 8, 2020, the two defendants were arraigned before Justice Binta Nyako though the case was later transferred to Justice Inyang Ekwo, also of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Justice Ekwo had adjourned the trial until Monday after the defendants pleaded not guilty on June 17. But the trial could not commence on that day as scheduled due to a fresh amendment to the charges by the prosecution.
The case marked, FHC/ABJ/CR/39/2017, has seven counts, with six of them relating to Adoke.
The EFCC alleged in the charges that the duo committed the money laundering offences involving over N400 million in Abuja in September 2013.
Earlier the defendants had pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
In the counts, Adoke was accused of making “structured cash payments in 22 tranches” amounting to N80 million and making another of such structured payments in 13 tranches summing up to N50 million into his Unity Bank account.
Also, he (Adoke) was accused of receiving dollar equivalent of N300 million from Abubakar, paying the dollar equivalent of N367,318,800 to one Usman Mohammed Bello and allegedly using the sum of N300 million which was alleged to be part of the proceeds of unlawful activities, among others.
The only count on Abubakar was that he allegedly made the payment of the dollar equivalent of N300 million to Adoke’s account.
All counts are in violations of various provisions of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011.
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