EFCC, teachers, SUBEB, NUT
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dele Belgore who was also a former governorship candidate in Kwara state, under the platform of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) was on Wednesday docked before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos for money laundering by EFCC.
Belgore was arraigned alongside a former Minister of National Planning, Professor Abubakar Sulaiman before Justice R.M Aikawa over allegations of N500 million money laundering.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) made an allegation that Belgore and the former minister conspired between themselves to commit the offence on March 27, 2015.
The Commission also accused the defendants of making two separate cash payments of N450m and N50m on March 27, 2015, without going through any financial institution.
The anti-graft agency further put up a claim that the defendants paid the said sum to one Sheriff Shagaya.
According to the EFCC, the cash sums were above the lawful threshold permitted by the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.
“The defendants ought to have reasonably known that the N450m and N50m formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act,” EFCC maintained.
The Commission insisted that the SAN and the former minister violated sections 1(a), 16(d), 15(2)(d) and18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012, adding that then duo are liable to be punished under sections 15(3)(4), and 16(2)(b) of the same Act.
However, the defendants pleaded not guilty, prompting Justice Aikawa to grant both Belgore and Sulaiman bail on self-recognisance.
The trial judge held that he has a belief that as a senior lawyer in Nigeria, Belgore will not for any reasons abscond, and Sulaiman, being a former minister in the country, would also not jump bail.
But Justice Aikawa issued an order, that both defendants should have their passports submitted to the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court.
The judge further declared that the passports could only be released to them on the order of the court.
Trial has been adjourned until February 23, 2017.
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