The Federal High Court in Kano, yesterday, discharged and acquitted former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali, and former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Campaign Coordinator in 2015 general elections, Mansur Ahmad, of money laundering charges.
The duo were initially paraded by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside former Kano State governor, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, in May 2018 for allegedly collecting the sum of N950million from Mrs. Nenadi Usman, then director of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign in March 2015 for the re-election of Jonathan.
The EFCC alleged the monies distributed by the PDP under Jonathan’s administration were proceeds of stolen funds looted from public treasury.The anti-graft also alleged that the transaction of the money did not followed standard banking rules, thereby committing offences under Section 1(a) of Money Laundering Act 2011, punishable under Section 16 (2b) of same Act.
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Delivering his judgement, Justice Lewis Allagoa said the prosecuting counsels could not prove their case beyond reasonable doubts, as such, the accused were discharged and acquitted.
Speaking on the judgement, counsel to Wali, Sam Olagunorisa, said they were happy and vindicated, noting that they were able to prove that the said money passed through a registered financial institution in the country.
On his part, the EFCC counsel, Cosmos Ogwu, said they had come to the end of the road at this level.
The defendants were alleged to have collected the sum of N950,000,000, part of the $115,000,000 allegedly distributed by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Deizani Allison Madueke for the purpose of influencing the outcome of the 2015 general elections.
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Delivering his judgement, Justice Lewis Allagoa said the prosecuting counsels could not prove their case beyond reasonable doubts, as such, the accused were discharged and acquitted.
Speaking on the judgement, counsel to Wali, Sam Olagunorisa, said they were happy and vindicated, noting that; “we are able to prove that indeed the said money passed through a registered financial institution in the country.”
On his part, EFCC counsel, Cosmos Ogwu, said; “we have come to the end of the road at this level, adding that “in a litigation you can’t say until judgement day, we shall study the judgement and see what we can do after.”
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Wali was arraigned in May 2018, alongside Ahmad and a former Governor of Kano State,
Ibrahim Shekarau by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
It was alleged that they collected cash payment of N950 million which contravenes the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011.
EFCC alleged that the defendants had on March 27, 2015, collected cash payment of N950 million from
Mrs Nenadi Usman, Director of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2015 Presidential Campaign Group.
It said that the offence contravened Section 1(a) of the Money Laundering Act 2011, and was punishable under Section 16 (2) (b) of the same Act.
The trial judge,
Justice Lewis Allagoa, while delivering judgement said that the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the transaction did not follow financial institution rules.
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