The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday ordered the remand of the Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing and determination of their bail application.

The trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, also ordered the remand of his co-defendants, his son, Abubakar Malami, and one of his wives, Bashir Asabe.

Justice Nwite made the order after taking arguments from the defence team led by Joseph Daudu (SAN) and the prosecution counsel Ekele Iheneacho (SAN).

Malami and his co-defendants are facing a 16-count money laundering charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The EFCC alleges that the defendants conspired at various times to conceal, retain and disguise the proceeds of unlawful activities running into several billions of naira.

According to the charge, the alleged offences span several years and include the use of companies and bank accounts to launder funds, the retention of cash as collateral for loans, and the acquisition of high-value properties in Abuja, Kano and other locations.

The commission further alleges that some of the offences were committed while Malami was serving as Attorney-General of the Federation, in breach of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, as amended, and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.

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 preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Malami’s co-defendants—his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and his fourth wife, Bashir Asabe—also pleaded not guilty to all the counts when the charges were read to them by the court registrar.

The defendants were arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

In the charge, the EFCC alleged that the defendants conspired at various times to conceal, retain, and disguise proceeds of unlawful activities running into several billions of naira.

According to the commission, the alleged offences span several years and involve the use of companies and bank accounts to launder funds, the retention 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 breach of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (as amended) and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.

Former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), was on Tuesday morning brought before a Federal High Court in Abuja by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) ahead of his arraignment on a 16-count money laundering charge.

Malami appeared in court shortly before 9 a.m., accompanied by his two co-defendants: his son, Abubakar Malami, and Bashir Asabe, an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited, a company linked to the former minister.

The EFCC alleges that the trio, among others, laundered approximately N8.7 billion.

Court proceedings are yet to commence.

Details shortly…