Segun Atanda/
Five political office holders, under former President Goodluck Jonathan, appeared at a Federal High Court in Sokoto following allegations that they shared out of a $115million loot from ex-Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison Madueke.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned a former Minister of Water Resources, Mr Mukhtar Shehu Shagari alongside four others before Justice Idrissa Kolo of the Federal High Court Sokoto on a five count charge of Conspiracy and Money Laundering to the tune of N500,000,000.
Charged along with the former minister are Senator Abdullahi Mohammmed Wali, Ibrahim Gidado, Nasiru Dalhatu Bafarawa and Ibrahim Milgoma.
Trouble started for the defendants after the Commission received intelligence that the accused person received various sums from the $115million allegedly disbursed by Mrs Madueke to senior members of the Peoples Democratic Party and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential elecvtion.
The defendants allegedly benefitted from the sum of N500,000,000 which was not distributed through any financial institution in flagrant violation of provisions of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act.
One of the charges says: “You Mukhtar Shehu Shagari, Ibrahim Gidado and Ibrahim Milgoma, sometime in March 2015, within the juridisction of this honourable court did conspire among yourselves to receive cash payment of the sum of N500,000,000 from one Abdulrahaman Ibrahim without transacting through a financial institution and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 18(a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 16(2) of the same Act.”
All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to them.
Prosecution counsel Johnson Ojogbane requested a date for trial in view of the plea of the defendants and also asked that the defendants be remanded in prison custody.
Counsel representing the 1st,3rd and 4th defendants Ibrahim Abdulaziz as well as counsel for the 2nd and 5th defendants Ibrahim Idris and L.A Abdulkadir respectively applied for the bail of their clients pending the determination of the case.
Responding, Ojogbane confirmed that he was served with the various bail applications by the applicants but also reminded the court that he was only served yesterday (May 21 ) and therefore needed time to respond.
Justice Idrissa, after listening to the arguments between the parties, remanded the defendants in police custody till Thursday, 24th May, 2018 for the hearing and determination of bail.
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