By Atoyebi Nike
A former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to a 16-count money laundering charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Malami entered his plea alongside his co-defendants his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and his fourth wife, Bashir Asabe when the charges were read to them by the court registrar.
The defendants were arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
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 commission alleged that the offences, which spanned several years, involved the use of multiple companies and bank accounts to launder funds, the retention of large sums of cash as collateral for loans, and the acquisition of high-value properties in Abuja, Kano and other locations.
The EFCC further alleged that some of the offences were committed while Malami was serving as Attorney-General of the Federation, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (as amended) and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
The case was adjourned for further proceedings.
