The trial of former FCT minister Jumoke Akinjide on allegations of laundering N650 million started Tuesday before a Federal High Court in Lagos.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, re-arraigned the former Minister along with Senator Ayo Adeseun and Chief Olanrewaju Otiti all Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The case was transferred to the Federal High Court Lagos division from Ibadan Oyo state division of the court at Akinjide’s request.
The defendants were charged along with former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, who is said to be at large.
They were accused of conspiring to directly take possession of six hundred and fifty million naira, which they reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act.
At Tuesday’s proceeding, the EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that the anti graft agency has an ammended twenty four count charge and urged the court to admit same as their charges in the suit.
The defence counsels did not oppose the amended charge, the presiding judge, Justice Muslim Hassan then ordered the registrar to read the charges to the defendants for their pleas to be taken.
The first defendant, Jumoke Akinjide who was arraigned on nine count charge out of the twenty four pleaded not guilty and the second defendant, Senator Ayo Adeseun pleaded not guilty to seventeen count charge that was preferred against him.
The third defendant, Chief Olanrewaju Otiti also pleaded not guilty to six count charges which borders on her involvement in the alleged financial crime.
The former petroleum minister Dieziani Alison Madueke who was alleged in the criminal charge to have conspired with the other three accused persons to take possession of N650million was stated in the charge to be at large.
The alleged offence is contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2012, and were liable to punishment under Section 15(3) and 4 of the same Act.
The anti-graft agency claimed that they ought to have “reasonably known that the money formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act.”
Akinjide was said to have allegedly given a cash sum of N107.4m to Otti and N134.4m to Adeseun out of the N650m on March 26, 2015.
She also allegedly gave N26.5m cash to one Ayoka Lawani; N56.4m to one Kunmi Mustapha; N28.6m to one Honourable Muraina Ajibola; N16m to one Honourable Yinka Taiwo and N10.7m to one Prince Ayuba.
Counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, said the cash payments exceeded the threshold stipulated by the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2012.
However the counsel to Oloye Jumoke Akinjide, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde, SAN, urged the court to allow his client to continue to enjoy the bail earlier granted her by Oyo State Federal High Court pointing out that the circumstances of the case has not change.
Also counsel to the second and third defendant, Micheal Lana and Akinola Oladeji aligned themselves with the prayer of the senior advocate.
Consequently, Justice Hassan ordered that the defendants should continue to enjoy their bail and adjourned till 5th of February.
