A Federal High Court in Lagos, will today rule on the bail application of an impersonator of former governor of Lagos State, Fashola, Malik Wakili filed on his behalf by his lawyer, Eubena Anedu.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had arraigned Wakili for allegedly impersonating the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, and defrauding the minister to the tune of over three million naira, (N3,106, 216).
The EFCC told Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke that the defendant conspired with one Abdullahi Umar, said to be at large, to fraudulently impersonate Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), with intent to gain monetary benefit.
According to the EFCC, the defendant converted the said sum being the value of the Air-miles Skywards Account Number EK248739282 of Mr Babatunde with the Emirate Airline and which sum he known formed part of the proceeds of unlawful activity, to wit: fraud.
The prosecution said Wakili acted contrary to sections 15(2)(a) and 27(1)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and was liable to be punished under sections 15(3) and 22(3)(a) of the same Act.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the three count charges levelled against him.
EFCC counsel, Uduak Kufre, who did not oppose the bail application, urged the court to impose conditions that would ensure that the defendant attend his trial.
The judge ordered that Wakili should be remanded in the prison custody, pending the ruling on his bail application.
