N650m Fraud: ECCC Re-arraigns Former FCT Minister, Jumoke Akinjide, Others
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday re- arraigned a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Jumoke Akinjide before a Federal High Court Sitting in Lagos for allegedly laundering the sum of N650 million.
Ms Akinjide, who was first docked before the Oyo State division of the court, was re-arraigned before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke in Lagos on a 24 count charge, following the transfer of the case file by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court Justice Adamu Kafarati.
Justice Aneke took over the case after it was move from the court of Justice Muslim Hassan following an application to that effect filed by the former Minister and her co-accused persons.
She was charged by the anti-graft agency alongside a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, who is said to be at large.
Others named in the charge are Senator Ayo Adeseun and a Chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olarenwaju Otiti.
The former Minister and her co-accused persons were all accused of conspiring to directly take possession of N650million, which they reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act.
According to the EFCC, the accused persons allegedly received the money from Mrs Alison-Madueke in the build- up to the 2015 general election.
The money was said to be part of a larger sum of $115 million allegedly doled out by Mrs. Alison-Madueke to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election.
However, they all pleaded not guilty to the charge.
After their arraignment, Justice Hassan ordered that they should continue to enjoy the terms of the bail earlier granted to them by Justice Abdul-Malik of the Federal High Court in Ibadan in 2017.
Justice Abdul-Malik had granted Mrs. Akinjide bail on self -recognition for her cooperation with the Economic and Financial Crime Commission during investigation.
The court also granted bail to Otiti and Adeseun in the sum of N100m each and sureties in the like sum. The court said that the surety must be a civil servant or public servant in a level of director.
One of the charges reads: “That you, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke (still at large), Oloye Jumoke Akinjide, Senator Ayo Ademola Adeseun and Chief Olarenwaju Otiti on or about the 26th day of March, 2015, in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired amongst yourselves to directly take possession of the N650, 000, 000.00 (Six Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act”.
Another charge reads: “That you, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide, Senator Ayo Ademola Adeseun and Chief Olanrewaju Otiti on or about the 26th day of March, 2015 in Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire amongst yourselves to commit an offence, to wit: making cash payment of the sum of N650, 000, 000. 00 (Six Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) which sum exceeded the amount authorized by Law without going through financial institution and you thereby committed an offence.”
