A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dele Belgore,
has told Justice Rilwan Aikawa of Federal High Court in Lagos, through his lead
counsel, Ebun Shofunde (SAN), that he has no case to answer in the money laundering charges filed against
him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), saying the evidence
of the prosecution amounts to hear-say evidence.
Similarly, a former Minister of National Planning,
Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, who is also the second defendant in the suit, filed a
no-case submission application in response to the charges preferred against
him.
At the resumed proceedings on Thursday, the defence
counsel, Shofunde and Olatunji Ayanlaja (SAN), urged the court to hold that the
defendants have no case to answer.
They are urging the court to discharge them from
the criminal trial.
Belgore and Sulaiman were alleged of collecting
N450million from former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani
Alison-Madueke, as alleged bribe to influence the outcome of the 2015 general
elections in favor of former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
They were accused of handling the huge sum of money
without going through any financial institution, contrary to the provisions of
the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.
Counsel for the EFCC, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, told the
court that they acted contrary to sections 1(a), 16(d), 15(2)(d) and18(a) of
the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012.
Oyedepo said in view of the exhibits tendered and
overwhelming evidence pw1 and pw2, couple with the admission of first defendant
in exhibit F and F2 that the defendants have no case to answer, the answer will
be in the affirmative.
He urged the court that in view of all the
unequivocal facts established against the defendants, it should call on them to
enter their defence to enable the court place probative value on the evidence
of both the prosecution and defence.
The duo were first arraigned on five counts on
February 8, 2017.
The anti-graft agency subsequently amended the
charges on two occasions, leading to the re-arraignment of the defendants.
The defendants pleaded not guilty on each occasion.
After calling two witnesses and tendering a number
of exhibits, the EFCC closed its case against the defendants, leaving the floor
for them to open their defence.
Oyedepo said the agency believed it had already
established its allegations against Belgore and his co-defendant.
The trial judge, Justice Aikawa, adjourned till
April 12, 2018, for ruling
In the five-count
charge, which were eventually increased to nine, the EFCC alleged that Belgore
and Sulaiman laundered the sum of N450million.
It claimed that they received the money from
Alison-Madueke on March 27, 2015, to allegedly compromise the 2015 general
election.
The anti-graft agency claimed that Sulaiman, a
professor of Political Science and International Relations of the University of
Abuja, the former governorship aspirant in Kwara State, ought to have known
that the money constituted proceeds of unlawful activities.
The EFCC claimed that the defendants paid N10million
each to a Commissioner of Police, Garba Saliu, and a Resident Electoral
Commissioner (REC), Dr. Emmanuel Onuche.
They were also accused of paying N50million to one
Sheriff Shagaya; N61,656,000 to one Isa Biu and N87,962,000 to the duo of Sola
Adeoti and Hajiya Farida Dankaka.
The commission allegedthat the cash payments were
above the threshold stipulated by the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.
It said having handled the large cash sums without
going through any financial institutions, Belgore and Sulaiman acted against sections
1(a), 16(d), 15(2)(d) and18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition)
(Amendment) Act, 2012.
The prosecution said they are liable to be punished
under sections 15(3)(4), and 16(2)(b) of the same Act.
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