A former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to a 16-count charge of money laundering filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Malami was arraigned alongside his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and his fourth wife, Bashir Asabe, before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja. All three defendants denied the allegations when the charges were read to them by the court registrar.
According to the EFCC, the defendants allegedly conspired at different times to conceal, retain and disguise proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to several billions of naira.
The anti-graft agency alleged that the offences spanned several years and involved complex financial transactions, including the use of multiple companies and bank accounts to launder funds.
The commission further accused the defendants of retaining large sums of cash as collateral for loans and acquiring high-value properties in Abuja, Kano and other locations across the country.
The EFCC also claimed that some of the alleged offences were committed while Malami was serving as Nigeria’s chief law officer.
“The defendants are alleged to have engaged in acts that contravene the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended), as well as the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022,” the prosecution stated.
Justice Nwite adjourned the matter for further proceedings, as the court is expected to consider bail applications and set dates for trial.
More details are expected to emerge as the case progresses.
