An Abuja Federal High Court presided by Justice Inyang Ekwo has adjourned the money laundering case against a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke till August 11.
The trial earlier fixed for August 4, was shelved following an amended charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The anti-graft agency had in June filed an additional seven count money laundering charges against the former AGF and an Abuja based businessman, Aliyu Abubakar to the tune of N400 million.
They both pleaded not guilty to the amended money laundering charges when they were re-arraigned on Tuesday before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja on a14 count charge of money laundering.
Adoke’s trial had been expected to commence on Monday but was shelved owing to the amended charges. Six of the initial seven count charges were linked to the former AGF.
At the resumption of the matter on Tuesday, August 4, the prosecutor, Bala Sanga, had drawn the attention of the court to the amended charge filed on July 29 by the EFCC, which he said was served on the two defendants.
Justice Ekwo, who berated the EFCC for the late filing, adjourned the trial till August 11.
The EFCC had alleged in the initial seven counts that the defendants committed money laundering offences involving over N400 million in Abuja in September 2013.
Specifically, Adoke was accused of among others, receiving the dollar equivalent of N300 million from Abubakar, which he in turn paid the dollar equivalent of N367,318,800 to one Usman Mohammed Bello. He was accused of using the said sum of N300 million, proceeds of unlawful activities in violations of various provisions of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011.
Other charges against Adoke was making “structured cash payments, in 22 tranches” amounting to N80 million, another of such structured payments in 13 tranches summing up to N50 million into his Unity Bank account.
According to the EFCC, not only that the funds were part of proceeds of unlawful acts but they exceeded the thresholds outside a financial institution. The agency said 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 Federal High Court in Abuja had on February 10, 2020, granted Adoke bail in the sum of N50m with one surety in like sum.