The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, October 21, 2022, arraigned a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State, Olasupo Shasore, SAN, on a two-count charge allegedly bordering on corrupt offers of $200,000 to public officers, before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.
The offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 9(1) (a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Olasupo Shasore, SAN, on or about the 18th day of November 2014 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, corruptly gave the sum of USD100, 000.00 (One Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) to one Mrs. Olufolakemi Adelore (then Director, Legal, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources) on account of the role she played in the arbitral proceedings instituted by Process and Industrial Developments Limited (P&ID) against the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.”
The second count reads: “That you, Olasupo Shasore, SAN, on or about the 18th day of November, 2014 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, corruptly gave the sum of USD100,000.00 (One Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) to one Mr. Ikechukwu Oguine (Secretary to the Corporation and Coordinator, Legal Services, NNPC) on account of the role he played in the arbitral proceedings instituted by Process and Industrial Developments Limited (P&ID) against the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
In view of his plea, the prosecuting counsel, Bala Sanga, prayed the court for a trial date.
“We ask the court for a date to open the trial and that he be remanded at the Correctional Services pending commencement of trial,” he said.
The lead defence counsel, Adeyemi Candide-Johnson, SAN, however, informed the court of the application for the bail of the defendant, which he said had been served on the prosecution.
He added that the defendant had also been arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, where his passport had already been deposited.
In response, Sanga confirmed receipt of the said application adding that, “we are more interested in the substance of the case and for the defendant to attend trial.”
He, therefore, left the decision to grant bail to the defendant at the discretion of the court.
Candide-Johnson prayed the court to grant bail to the defendant on self-recognizance.
He also stated that the defendant “is a respected member of the society with no previous criminal conviction” and that he did not take flight during the course of the investigation.
“The trial is not as damaging as the impact on his reputation,” he said.
Justice Dada granted bail to the defendant, as prayed by the defence, with an order for the defence counsel to sign a formal undertaking to ensure his appearance for trial.
The case was adjourned till December 6, 7 and 8, 2022.