Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday, discharged and acquitted the former attorney general of the federation and monster of justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke of the money laundering charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a short ruling, the judge held that the prosecution had failed to prove the in counts one to four of the 10-count charge filed against the Adoke and his co-defendant and businessman, Mr Aliyu Abubakar.
Adoke and Abubakar were first arraigned before Justice Binta Nyako in February 2020 and then Justice Ekwo on June 17, 2020 on a seven-count criminal charge.
Although the prosecution had amended the charge to 14, then to 10, the defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charge and also filed a “no-case submission”, after the anti-graft agency had closed its case.
Ruling in the no-case submission, Ekwo held that the EFCC through documentary and oral evidence was unable to establish a prima facie case against Adoke.
He held that the evidence of the prosecution were manifestly unreliable and consequently upheld Adoke’s no-case submission.
He, therefore, declared Adoke discharged and acquitted of the money laundering charge.
However, the judge held that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against Abubakar in counts five, six, eight and nine of the charge preferred against him.
The court however, freed him on counts one, seven and 10 and adjourned the case to April 22, 23 and 24 for the defendant to open his defence.
Recall that the EFCC had sued Adoke and Abubakar on a 10-count amended charge bordering on money laundering offences.
The matter, which began in 2017, had lasted for about seven years.
In the amended charge, Adoke was accused of collecting N300 million from Abubakar as alleged proceeds of unlawful activities in 2013, while in the same year, he was said to have collected another sum of $2.2 million from one Rislanudeen Muhammed.
He was also accused of disguising N300 million being proceeds of unlawful activities he accepted from the second defendant.
The EFCC also alleged that Adoke illegally paid the N50 million in 13 tranches and another N80 million in 22 tranches into his personal account with Unity Bank in contravention of the nation’s financial regulations.
In another charge, Adoke was said to have paid the sum of N367 million, also in contravention of the financial regulations.
Adoke was further accused of disguising the sources of the amounts deposited in his Unity Bank, an act contrary to the financial law.
Abubakar, on the other hand, was alleged to have received cash payment of $2 million and another $4 million in September 2013 from one Abdulkareem Mustapha.
In September and October the same year, the accused was alleged to have collected another sum $84.7 million.
In another charge, Abubakar was accused of receiving $3 million and concealing the source of same.
In another charge, he was alleged to have received $12 million being proceeds of alleged unlawful act.
Abubakar was also alleged to have made the sum of N300 million cash payment to Adoke in contravention of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011.
