EFCC rearraigns Adoke on amended money laundering charges

By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) yesterday, re-arraigned a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), on amended money laundering charges.
Adoke, alongside a business man, Aliyu Abubakar, was before the Federal High Court Abuja and pleaded not guilty for charges in respect of the controversial Malabu Oil deal, OPL 245.
The re-arraignment is 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 N400million.
In the previous charges, six of the seven counts related to Adoke while only one related to Abubakar, however, the amended charges have seven counts relating to Adoke and seven relating to Abubakar.
Meantime, Justice Inyang Ekwo on Tuesday adjourned trial till August 11.
Some of the amended charge read;
‘’That you Mohammed Bella Adoke. sometime in August 2013. in Abuja. within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, accepted a cash payment of a sum of United States Dollars, equivalent to N300,000,000.00 (Three hundred million Naira), from Aliyu Abubakar. 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.
‘’That you Mohammed Bella Adoke, sometime in September 2013. in Abuja. within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, made a cash payment of the sum of $2,267,400.00 (Two million, two hundred and sixty seven thousand. four hundred United States Dollars) to one Rislanudeen Muhammed. 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.
‘’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 Naira) 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).’’