By Agency Report
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday dismissed an alleged 1 billion U.S dollars money laundering charge filed against Malabu Oil and Gas Company; a businessman man, Aliyu Abubakar, and others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment, held that the EFCC had failed to prove the allegations against the eight defendants as required by law in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/268/2016 and filed in 2016.
Justice Ekwo also faulted the EFCC when it proceeded to prosecute the defendants based on the charge after the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) issued a letter in 2018 directing that the defendants should not be prosecuted because there was no sufficient evidence to warrant that.
The commission had named Malabu Oil and Gas Ltd, A-Group Construction Company Limited, Rocky Top Resources Limited, Mega Tech Engineering Limited, Novel Properties and Development Company Limited, Carlin International Nigeria Limited and Aliyu Abubakar as defendants in the case.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that they were charged with money laundering in a 48-count charge over their alleged fraudulent dealings in relation to the controversial oil block, OPL 245.
The EFCC claimed that about $1 billion and N673 million were involved in the alleged money laundering offences.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty when they were arraigned.
Justice Ekwo, in another judgment on charge number: FHC/ABJ/CR/31/2017, also exonerated Aliyu Abubakar of counts five, six, seven, eight and nine preferred against the business mogul in the N300 million money laundering offence.
The judge, who held that the EFCC had failed to discharge the responsibility placed on it, said there was no evidence that Abubakar committed the offence for which he was charged.
“The allegations in counts five, six, seven, eight and nine cannot be proved beyond reasonable doubt. I so hold.
“I made an order discharging the defendant,” the judge ruled.
NAN recalls that the anti-graft agency had initially named the former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Mohammed Adoke and Abubakar as 1st and 2nd defendants in the money laundering charge filed in 2017.
However, Justice Ekwo freed Adoke in a no-case submission filed by the ex-AGF in 2024 but ruled that Abubakar had a case to answer.
The judge had held that the prosecution was able to make out a prima facie case against Abubakar, the 2nd defendant, that would warrant him to give evidence in counts five, six, seven, eight and nine.
Details later…….
