A Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State has remanded the immediate past finance commissioner in the state, Ademola Banu in custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (( EFCC) Ilorin Zonal Office over money laundering charges.
The former finance commissioner and others were arraigned on a nine count charge before Justice Babangana Ashigar of the federal high court.
The EFCC alleged that the defendants conspired among themselves to launder the sum of N411m (four hundred and eleven million naira) belonging to Kwara State Government.
Count one of the charge reads “That you, Olarewaju Adeniyi, Ademola Banu and Travel Messenger Limited between January to December 2018 in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this honourable court conspired among yourselves to commit an offence, to with: conversion of the sum of N411,000,000.00 ( four hundred and eleven million naira) property of Kwara State Government, which sum you reasonably ought to know was derived from fraud, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 18(a) of the money laundering (prohibition) (amendment) act, 2012 and punishable under section 15(3) and (4) of the same act ”
The accused Persons pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them in Court.
Counsel to the EFCC, Nnaemeka Omewa told the presiding judge ” My Lord, following the plea of not guilty entered by the defendants, the prosecution shall be asking this honourable court to give a trial date to enable us prove our case , we also want you remand the defendants in Correctional facility pending the hearing and determination of this case ”
The defence Counsel, Gboyega Oyewole and Bamidele Ibironke however prayed Justice Ashigar to grant bail to their clients, arguing that the offences in which the defendants are standing trial are bailable.
Having listened to the counsels of the parties in the case, Justice Ashigar adjourned the ruling of the application till 10th of February 2020 and ordered the defendants to be remanded in EFCC custody.
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