Court returns Malami, wife to Kuje, Suleja prisons in fresh twist of N8.7 billion money laundering

Former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami has been returned to Kuje Correctional Centre facility on the order of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja as his bail application has been voided on Friday.

This is even as his money laundering case has been reassigned. The reassignment of Malami’s case has nullified all previous legal proceedings including bail granted him by the Honourable Justice Emeka Nwite, hence, he would require a fresh bail application.

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC dragged him to Court alleging misappropriation of a whopping sum of N8.7 billion.

At the resumed hearing, the prosecution, led by J.S. Okutepa, announced appearance and applied that the pleas of the defendants be taken on the amended 16-count charge.his Happened (EP 376) reviews: Drama trails FCT Area Council

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On Friday, Abubakar Malami, his son, Abdulaziz, and his wife, Asabe, each pleaded not guilty to the amended charges, after which J.S. Okutepa urged the Court to fix a fresh date for trial.

J.B Daudu, SAN urged the Court to sustain the earlier bail conditions and allow the suspects go home, stressing that the Court is one Court.

J.S Okutepa reacted that the bail had previously been granted but argued that the new court retained the discretion to either adopt the earlier conditions or impose fresh ones.

He added that while he would not press the issue further, the court should impose conditions capable of ensuring the defendants’ attendance at trial.

Recall that the earlier bail conditions included N500m bail each, with one surety each who must own property in Maitama or Asokoro. The defendants were also required to deposit two international passports each with the court, while the residences of the sureties were to be verified by the Assistant Chief Registrar.

In her ruling, the presiding judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, held that where a case begins afresh due to reassignment, earlier proceedings are extinguished in law.

The defence conceded that there was no formal bail application before the court but sought to make an oral application.

The court declined, directing the defence to file a formal bail application and serve it on the prosecution, after which a short adjourned date would be given for hearing.

The defence further informed the court that fixing a trial date could pose difficulties because the first and second defendants were currently in the custody of the Department of State Services and were unreachable.

The court responded that it could not speculate on the position of any party and that the prosecution had a duty to ensure the defendants’ availability.

The prosecution, however, maintained that the defendants were not in its custody and that it could not compel the DSS to produce them.

Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter till March 6 for the hearing of the bail application and commencement of the trial.

She ordered that Malami and his son be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre, while his wife be remanded at the Suleja Correctional Centre.

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