Justice Inyang Ekwo, of the Federal High Court in Abuja has takes over the trial of a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN).
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had arraigned Adoke alongside a businessman, Aliyu Abubakar, before Justice Binta Nyako on alleged money laundering charges involving about N400m.
Meanwhile, the reassignment of the case to a new judge will necessitate re-arraingment of the defendants on the same charges.
The two defendants who were earlier arraigned on June 17, 2020, before the new judge pleaded not guilty to the charges
Subsequently, the judge adjourned till today for the commencement of trial.
But the trial could not start as scheduled due to a fresh amendment to the charges by the prosecution.
EFCC’s lawyer, Bala Sanga, told the judge that the commission has filed an amended charges on July 29.
The development which got the judge annoyed for the late filing of the amended charges just a few days to the commencement of trial.
In his reaction, Justice Ekwo said “From June 17 to July 17, you did nothing. That means you had one month and you didn’t file the amended charge. Just a few days to the commencement of the trial, you filed an amended charge.
“Although you have the freedom to amend your charge up to the time of judgment, I do not appreciate a situation where things are not done on time. This is a 2017 matter and I was thinking I could fast track it but now the prosecution has come up with an amendment.”
The judge adjourned till Tuesday for rearraingment of the defendants on the basis of the amended charges.
The case marked, FHC/ABJ/CR/39/2017, has seven counts, with six of them relating to Adoke.
EFCC alleged in the charges that they committed the money laundering offences involving over N400m in Abuja in September 2013.
In the counts concerning Adoke, he was accused of among others, receiving the dollar equivalent of N300m from Abubakar, paying the dollar equivalent of N367,318,800 to one Usman Mohammed Bello, and allegedly using the sum of N300m which was alleged to be part of the proceeds of unlawful activities, all in violations of various provisions of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011.
Adoke was also accused of making “structured cash payments, in 22 tranches” amounting to N80m, another of such structured payments in 13 tranches summing up to N50m into his Unity Bank account.
The commission alleged that the funds were not only part of the proceeds of unlawful acts but they also exceeded “thresholds outside a financial institution” and that the payments were done with the intention of concealing the origins of the funds contrary to section 15(2(a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 and punishable under section 15(3) of the same law.
The only count concerning Abubakar was that he allegedly made the payment of dollar equivalent of N300m to Adoke’s account in violation of the money laundering law.
