The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed multiple corruption charges against a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke.
The charges include those related to money laundering, denying Nigeria taxes and an alleged N300 million bribe.
According to court filings seen by PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, the EFCC filed a seven-count charge against the former attorney-general before the Federal High Court in Abuja and a 12-count charge before the FCT High Court.
In the charge before the Federal High Court (FCT), the commission accused Mr Adoke of accepting N300 million from a controversial businessman, Abubakar Aliyu, as bribe sometime in September 2013, in Abuja.
Mr Aliyu was charged alongside the former minister.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how almost half of the $1.1 billion paid by Shell and Eni in a controversial OPL 245 deal brokered by Mr Adoke ended in accounts controlled by Mr Aliyu. The oil multinationals paid the money through the Nigerian government to Malabu, a company then controlled by Dan Etete, a former petroleum minister who is on the run.
Malabu, which was illegally awarded OPL 245 when Mr Etete was minister in 1998, then transferred about half of the money into accounts partly controlled by Mr Aliyu. Mr Aliyu is believed to have shared the money to top officials of Shell and Eni as well as officials of the Jonathan administration. The EFCC believes the N300 million Mr Adoke received in 2013 was his share of the Malabu windfall.
Shell, Eni and their officials are already being prosecuted in Italy for the scandal.
The EFCC also accused Mr Adoke of money laundering by allegedly paying N367 million to an accomplice, Usman Bello.
In the charge no: FHC/ABJ/CR/39/2017, the EFCC said the alleged offences are contrary to section 1 (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 16 (2)(b)of the same Act.
In the charge before the FCT High court, the commission accused Mr Adoke of accepting gratification from Mr Aliyu to facilitate and negotiate the OPL 245 resolution agreement with Shell, Eni and their Nigerian subsidiaries.
The commission also accused Mr Adoke of conspiring and agreeing to waive taxes due to the Federal Government of Nigeria by illegal means through the execution of the OPL 245 Resolution Agreement between the Nigerian government, the oil multinationals and a shady company, Malabu Oil and Gas.
The EFCC said his offences are contrary to Section 115 of the Penal Code and punishable under the same section of the Penal Code.
Charged alongside Mr Adoke at the FCT High Court are Mr Abubakar; Rasky Gbinigie who was a company secretary to Malabu; Malabu; Agip, a subsidiary of Eni; and two subdiaries of Shell (Shell Nigeria Ultradeep Limited and Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Limited).
Long Road To Trial
The EFCC had been pursuing Mr Adoke for his role in the controversial Malabu oil scandal regarding the controversial sale of Nigeria’s OPL 245 oil field.
Mr Adoke has denied any wrongdoing and said he acted on the instructions of the former president, Goodluck Jonathan.
The former minister went on a self imposed exile outside Nigeria. He eventually travelled to Dubai where he was arrested by Interpol at the prompting of the EFCC.
Upon his return to Nigeria, he was arrested at the Abuja airport and handed over to the EFCC on December 19.
The EFCC secured an initial court warrant to hold Mr Adoke for 14 days following his arrest in Abuja.
Following the expiration of the first order, a judge approved a second warrant to keep the former attorney-general for another 14 days. The anti-graft agency said the detention was necessary to enable it conduct their investigation and arraign him in court.
The second warrant expired on January 16.
PREMIUM TIMES on Monday reported the EFCC admitting that the second remand warrant for Mr Adoke had expired. It however claimed the former minister’s continuous detention was in line its extant operational procedure.
However, the Nigerian Constitution and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) do not provide for prolonged detention of citizens without valid court orders.
EFCC insiders say Mr Adoke may appear in court this week to face the charges.
