Money laundering: Court denies El-Rufai’s aide bail again, sends him back to detention

A Kaduna State High Court again denied ex-Chief of Staff to former Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, Alhaji Bashir Sa’idu, bail.

The court ordered that he be sent back to remand in the Correctional Facility after being charged with 10-Counts bordering on alleged money laundering, embezzlement and stealing.

When the case came up for mention on Tuesday before Justice Isa Aliyu, the 10 charges were read to the hearing of the defendant, who pleaded not guilty.

The charges among others alleged that, the former Commissioner sold $45million in hard currency belonging to the Kaduna State Government—equivalent to N18,450,000,000—at the significantly undervalued rate of N410 per dollar, instead of the parallel market rate of N498 per dollar, with criminal intent, resulting in a N3,960,000,000 loss to the government.

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According to the prosecution, the offence allegedly took place in 2022, when Sa’idu served as Commissioner of Finance in El-Rufai’s administration.

The prosecution further alleged that the N3,960,000,000 discrepancy was laundered by Sa’idu, in violation of Section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Counsel to the Defendant, M I Abubakar notified the court of a pending bail application, urging the court to grant his client, Alhaji Bashir Sa’idu bail, as he had already spent 21 days in custody since his arrest on 2nd January, 2025.

While noting that the bail application was filed before the court on the 16th January, he argued that granting Sa’idu bail would allow him adequate time and facilities to file his defence to the charges against him.

The Prosecution Counsel, Professor Nasiru Aliyu, however, raised an objection against the bail application, arguing that the law provides that the prosecution be allowed seven days to file its response to the bail application.

After about 40 minutes recess, Justice Aliyu ruled that the prosecution be given adequate time provided by the law to file its defence to the bail application.

He however adjourned the case till 23rd January, 2025 for hearing of the bail application.