N950m PDP election fund: Court says Sen. Shekarau has case to answer

The Federal High Court sitting in Kano struck out the no-case submission filed by the former governor of Kano state, Ibrahim Shekarau, challenging his alleged N950 million money laundering trial.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), arraigned Shekarau on May 24, 2018, alongside former foreign affairs minister, Aminu Wali and one Mansur Ahmad on six counts bordering on conspiracy and money laundering to the tune of N950 million.

Delivering his ruling, Justice Lewis Allagoa, held that the EFCC has made out a prima facie case against the defendants, warranting that they must defend themselves.

“I have considered evidence by the prosecution against the defendants, it is sufficient that they have case to answer and defend themselves,” he said.

Allagoa adjourned the case until November 18 and November 19, for defence to open its case.

Earlier, counsel to Shekarau and two others, Dauda Abdulrahman, and Abdul Adamu, on July 9 filed a no case submission.

Adamu said EFCC failed to present a prima facie case to warrant the defendants entering defense and urged the court to discharge his clients.

Counsel to the EFCC, Johnson Ojogbane, had earlier told the court that the defendants, between March 26 and March 27, 2015, conspired among themselves and received the said amount without going through financial institutions.

He said that the money was issued to the defendants by the Peoples Democratic Party and former petroleum minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke.

The prosecutor said that the offences contravened sections 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 16 (2)(b) of the same Act and Section 15(1) of money laundering Act.

The defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

NAN reports that the defendants were earlier granted bail in the sum of N100 million each with two reliable sureties in like sum and during the course of trial, the prosecution called four witnesses and closed its case on May 8.

Meanwhile, the federal government sent a high-power delegation to the United Kingdom ahead of the next court session on the Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) case coming up on Thursday, September 26.

Members of the team are the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN); governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele; inspector general of police Mohammed Adamu; acting chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu and minister of Information Lai Mohammed, among others.

The AGF had on Sunday, September 22, said the federal government may file a new case in the UK against P&ID.