By Soni Daniel – Abuja
After nearly five weeks of being detained in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the anti-graft agency has finally slammed the former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, with seven charges.
The former justice minister was charged along with a businessman, Aliyu Abubakar, who was accused of paying the sum of N300 million bribe to Adoke in respect of the Malabu Oil deal.
The case was prepared and filed on behalf of the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, by the quartet of Bala Sanga, Aliyu Yusuf, M. S. Abubakar and H. A. Shehu.
The charges, with reference FHC/ABJ/CR/39/2017, border principally on bribe-taking, money laundering and breach of public office, among others.
No date has however been set but insiders hinted Vanguard it could be this week given the fact that the 28-day detention period granted the EFCC by the court lapsed last weekend.
The agency has also lined up four key witnesses against Adoke and Abubakar.
The counts:
COUNT 1
That you Mohammed Bello Adoke, sometime in September 2013, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, accepted as payment the sum of United States Dollars equivalent to N300 million from Abubakar Aliyu and you thereby committed an offence as specified under section 1 (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 16 (2)(b) of the same Act.
COUNT 2
That you Mohammed Bello Adoke, sometime in September 2013, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, made a payment of a sum of United States Dollars equivalent to N367.3 million to one Usman Mohammed Bello and you thereby committed an offence as specified under section 1(a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 16 (2)(b) of the same Act.
COUNT 3
That you Mohammed Bello Adoke, sometime in September 2013, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court, used the total sum of N300 million when you knew that the said funds formed part of your unlawful activities to wit: payment 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).
COUNT 4
That you Mohammed Bello Adoke on or about the 13th of September 2013, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did cause to be made a structured cash payment in 13 tranches of a sum of money totaling N50 million into your Unity Bank Plc Account No. 0020153263, which sums you knew is part of an unlawful act, to wit: the payment of an amount exceeding stated threshold amounts outside a financial Institution, intending to conceal the origins of the said funds, contrary to section 15 (2 )(a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
COUNT 5
That you Mohammed Bello Adoke on or about the 16th of September 2013, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did cause to be made a structured cash payment in 22 tranches of a sum of money totaling N80 million into your Unity Bank Plc Account No. 0020153263, which sums you knew is part of an unlawful act, to wit: the payment of an amount exceeding stated threshold amounts outside a financial Institution, intending to conceal the origins of the said funds, contrary to section 15 (2 )(a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
COUNT 6
That you Mohammed Bello Adoke, sometime in September 2013, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court, used the total sum of N367.3 million when you knew that the said funds formed part of your unlawful activities to wit: payment 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).
COUNT 7
That you Aliyu Abubakar, sometime in September 2013, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, made a payment of the sum of United States Dollars equivalent to N300 million to Mohammed Bello Adoke and you thereby committed an offence as specified under section 1(a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 16 (2)(b) of the same Act.
Vanguard News Nigeria.