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EFCC Re-arraigns Adoke On Amended Money Laundering Charges

The case is one of the multiple charges the EFCC had filed in different courts in respect of various aspects of the controversial OPL 245 transactions, also known as Malabu Oil deal.

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The former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN) has been re-arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on amended money laundering charges.

The case is one of the multiple charges the EFCC had filed in different courts in respect of various aspects of the controversial OPL 245 transactions, also known as Malabu Oil deal.

The anti-graft agency re-arraigned the former AGF alongside a businessman, Aliyu Abubakar, before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

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They were re-arraigned on Tuesday following the amendment of the old charges that saw the number of counts increase from seven to 14.

The prosecuting counsel, Bala Sanga, also said the amount involved in the new charges had increased from the previous N400m. In the previous charges, six of the seven counts related to Adoke while only one related to Abubakar.

But with the amended charges, there are now seven counts relating to Adoke and seven relating to Abubakar.

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They both pleaded not guilty to the charges when read to them on Tuesday.

Justice Inyang Ekwo on Tuesday adjourned trial till August 11.

Part of the charges read, “That you Mohammed Bello Adoke, sometime in September 2013, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court, used the total sum of N300,000,000.00 (three hundred million nairas) when you knew that the said funds formed part of your unlawful activities to wit: acceptance of an amount exceeding stated threshold amounts outside a financial institution, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) and punishable under section 15 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (as amended).”

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“That you Mohammed Bello Adoke sometime in September 2013, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did cause to be made structured cash payment in 13 tranches of a sum of money totalling N50,000,000.00 (Fifty million Naira) into your Unity Bank Plc Account No. 0020153263, which sums you knew is part of an unlawful act, to wit: the payment of an amount exceeding stated threshold amounts outside a financial Institution, intending to conceal the origins of the said funds, contrary to section 15 (2 )(a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.”

“That you Aliyu Abubakar, sometime in August 2013, in Abuja within the Junsd1ctton of this Honourable Court, made a cash payment of the sum of United States Dollars, equivalent to N300,000,000.00 (three hundred million Naira), to Mohammed Bello Adoke, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to the combined effect of section 16 (1) (d) and of section 1(a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 16 (2)(b) of the same Act.”