The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said on Friday that it had not dropped charges of money laundering against former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, as reported by some sections of the media.
The anti-graft agency said, in a statement signed by its Head, Media, Dele Oyewale, that Adoke was still standing trial in two separate courts.
“The EFCC wishes to make it abundantly clear that Mr. Adoke is standing trial in two separate courts: Federal High Court, Abuja before Justice Inyang Ekwo in Suit Number: FHC/ABJ/CR/39/2017 and FCT High Court, Gwagwalada before Justice Idris Kutigi in Suit Number: FCT/CR/151/2020,” it said.
According to the statement, he was re-arraigned alongside an Abuja-based businessman, Aliyu Abubakar, before Justice Ekwo on June 17, 2020 on seven-count charges, bordering on money laundering.
The EFCC said the re-arraignment was occasioned by the transfer of the case from Justice Binta Nyako, before whom he was originally arraigned on February 8, 2020.
The statement added, “Adoke was equally arraigned before Justice Kutigi alongside others on January 23, 2020 on 42-count charges bordering on the Malabu Oil scam.
“There is another subsisting case involving Malabu Oil & Gas Limited, Aliyu Abubakar and five companies allegedly involved in money laundering charges before Justice Ekwo. They were arraigned on Wednesday, July 1, 2020 in Suit Number: FHC/ABJ/CR/268/2016.”
It said media reports about the removal of Adoke’s name from the “Wanted Persons’ List” by the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), were unnecessary and misleading, since he had been arrested and was facing trial already in Nigeria.
“A suspect cannot be on a ‘Wanted Persons’ List’ and be facing trial in court at the same time.
The EFCC wishes to reiterate its commitment to global best practices in its operations and would not be distracted from its assigned mandate of ridding the nation of all forms of economic and financial crimes,” the anti-graft agency declared.
